A TYPICALLY QUIET AUGUST MADE EXCITED BY A NEW NEST DISCOVERY

With much of the wildlife still seemingly hiding away, it’s been left to a few of the stars of the garden this year to make the headlines, and also one big surprise.

First, the big surprise and it was the discovery of new nest in the garden just last week; a nest from a bird I’ve seen around the garden and lane, but never thought it would nest near the house.

The bird in question is a goldfinch, which has nested near the top of a small bush/tree, about eight feet from the ground and in a fairly precarious place.

I’d been hearing a lot of calling from the goldfinches around the garden in recent weeks, particularly in the last week or so, and looking at the state of the nest I suspect the young had recently fledged.

It’s brilliant that a small garden can provide the right environment for birds to nest, so now the goldfinch can be added to the list of nesting birds in the garden, alongside blue tits, great tits, robins, house sparrows, tree sparrows and blackbirds.

The robin family now appears to be in dispute with one another, as one of the youngsters is seemingly trying to win our garden as part of its territory over one of its parents – I suspect the male.

They have both been seen often in the garden in recent weeks and it would seem it’s quite a good place to have.

Who will triumph in the end? I don’t know but both are quite feisty and friendly in similar doses – friendly to the humans who live here.

Another now regular visitor is the hedgehog, who can be seen, and often heard, most nights.

The hedgehog is leaving regular deposits of poo around the garden too, but is also getting around the neighbours’ houses and is also being provided some food by them.

It looks like the hedgehog has found somewhere it likes, and if collectively we continue to provide the right environment for it, then it’ll hopefully stay.

One of the most important things is allowing free and easy access to all the gardens and making sure the cats and dogs stay away from it.

I think most of the neighbours are excited to see a hedgehog, so hopefully it’ll stick around.

THE SWALLOWS ARE BACK – 11 DAYS EARLIER THAN LAST YEAR

In the midst of some typically heavy April showers a rainbow appeared very near the garden. Rushing to get the camera to capture the moment, the noise carrying across the breeze sounded very familiar.

Looking up towards the rainbow, a familiar silhouette appeared against the darkened sky – a pair of swallows on the telegraph wire.

Their appearance is 11 days earlier than 2015 and nine days compared to 2014. Whether this earlier arrival is due to anything associated with the ‘global warming’ debacle is much too soon to tell.

It would also appear that the house sparrows are busy building nests in the triple nest box, although I have only evidence that one of the boxes is being used, I suspect at least one of the other two is too.

Unfortunately the two next boxes with the cameras in have so far proved empty of any activity, but with spring sunshine beginning to warm the air, there is renewed hope the two nest boxes will soon be filled by great and blue tits.

The small trees and bushes are also showing signs of spring life, with new leaves appearing. This is also providing cover for the small birds as they carry out courtships within the confines of the increasing amount of cover.

The cat issue continues with nightly fights being heard. I do wonder if some people think moving to the country means they can just bring in as many ‘pets’ as possible, and they will form part of the ‘natural countryside’.

It would appear this is the case because there are eight houses, six without pets, while two have at least six cats between them. There are also dogs, but they are not destructive to wildlife in the way cats are.

Time will tell, but I really hope this year’s young birds are decimated by the cats, in the same way the vole and mouse population appears to have been.