WHAT A MISERABLE SUMMER SO FAR

With all this rain it seems like autumn, or more likely, April. However it’s just July, which is meant to be a chance for people and wildlife to enjoy the warm weather before cooler and colder conditions follow in the coming months.

The ducks don’t seem to be enjoying this July weather either, although the snails and slugs appear to be revelling in the conditions.

One thing that has dropped off recently is the visits from birds in the garden. It’s been very noticeable in the last week or so, that very few are seen.

The young magpies are seen, and more often heard, but most other birds have simply vanished.

Of course most will have shepherded their youngsters to less populated areas so the adults can moult; they will soon be back.

The broad beans are already producing a small crop and there’s potential for the tomatoes to start showing small fruit soon too.

One chilli pepper plant has produced a single edible offering, while others are clearly showing signs of soon being able to offer the same.

The rain and cooler weather has meant a lot of wildlife has simply hunkered down, including the crane flies.

While the buddleia has had few visits from the endless butterflies that have been sampling its nectar in recent sunny days.

Perhaps August will see a burst of long-lasting sunshine, warmer conditions and the return of bird song in the garden!

COLD WINTER WEATHER ON THE WAY?

After a relatively non-stormy autumn and warm winter, so far, the forecast is set for a spell of colder weather, which will invariably have an impact on our wildlife.

In recent weeks the garden has been a regular feeding place for long tailed tits, a sure sign that nature’s bounty of food is bordering on empty.

This is a signal for help with extra food, particularly fat-based snacks, for birds and wildlife in general, and with easterly winds making for some very cold wind-chill temperatures, now is the time to make sure those feeders are regularly topped up.

While the garden fills with small bird flocks, overhead many groups of birds fly to daytime feeding grounds from overnight roosts.

The marshes near the garden provide many birds with food and safe roosting sites, particularly waders. This in turn means predators including the peregrine falcon, short-eared owl and marsh harrier are about, albeit it much smaller numbers.

It’s great to see flocks of redwing and fieldfare, along with passings from curlew, lapwing and various ducks and gulls. They all make use of the fields around the garden for feeding, while feeding and roosting around the marshes.

The cold weather will affect them all, but with saltwater in abundance around the marshes, it will need a prolonged spell of cold weather to mean the waders and shore birds will suffer from a food shortage.

Meanwhile it’s up to people to help the smaller garden birds with helpings of peanuts and fat snacks, to help them until spring brings warmth and insects.

NOT MUCH ACTION

The wildlife has not been out in force recently, well not in my garden anyway.

A male blackbird is often heard from a few nearby high spots, notably tops of telegraph poles, joining a subdued dawn chorus and being prominent during the dusk chorus.

The swallows are often seen now with youngsters from the first brood and given the weather and potential increase in insect numbers in the next few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if they had a second brood.

A chiffchaff has recently been heard to sing again, so perhaps a second brood is on there, while a male robin has often been in the garden when it sees me with the mealworm box ready to put some on a feeding station.

The tree sparrows and house sparrows must still be feeding youngsters, because they grab a number of mealworms each visit, but I expect them to fledge soon.

One of the interesting visitors is a magpie, which seems to have discovered I'm fairly generous when it comes to feeding the smaller birders. It if often joined by others, who then scare the smaller birds away and gobble up mealworms, before trying their beaks on the peanuts - which they sometimes succeed with despite the feeder being only suited for smaller birds.

I've counted four different types of bees visiting the garden, I can't name them, but can tell the differences from colour and size variations.

When the summer returns after this current storm, I'll take a closer look and come back with types of bees so it can provide me with information on who is living around here and why.

For now I can only hope the ducks enjoy the weather as I think it'll be warming up from next week onwards!

FROM SUMMER BACK TO SPRING

The recent spell of summer-like weather has sparked plenty of activity among the wildlife, especially the birds singing and gathering nest material.

Trees and bushes around the house have suddenly turned green, after waiting patiently for the right temperature. It means birds are becoming harder to spot, despite their song being heard more frequently.

Cooler weather is now upon us, but it's not cold for this time of year, just what the wildlife would expect and react to.

The nestbox camera is still playing up so I've not been able to look in to see how the great tits are getting on.

I've seen them both around the garden, but not entering of exiting the nestbox.

This week I've spotted blackbirds mating, ducks pairing up, but no swallows.

I thought I'd have seen swallows by now, especially given there's been plenty of sightings across the UK, but nothing yet.

Yesterday I was in the Lake District for work and noticed the signs for the osprey viewing platform were up near Bassenthwaite Lake.

I'm back there next weekend so will be taking a look to see if they're about.

Over the next few weeks I'll be taking some walks down the lanes around my house to check out the new wildlife and how the residents are getting on preparing for the btreeding season.

I'll be taking the camera and hoping that both the video nestbox camera and my own camera produce some nice shots.

A SURPRISE VISITOR

So we did have a summer this year, it was in May and June. July and August must be the new autumn!

The warm weather helped to give some wildlife better conditions to raise their young, but it then became too dry as all wildlife need water.

One of the major worries was the pond behind our house. It’s been home to coots, moorhens, reed beds with various insects, fish and a number of ducks. This is despite its relatively small size.

Unfortunately the farmer who owns the pond used almost all of its water to spray on his crops. While this is understandable, the system that was used had more leaks than a Wales farmer’s market or all the country’s water firms put together!

I noticed on a number of occasions the birds floating on what was left of the pond looking very confused with what had happened.

Since the rain started the pond has filled up thanks to an incoming small stream, but is now almost breaching the ‘dam’ wall at one end. It’s at the highest level I’ve seen in three years.

Unfortunately most of the wildlife will have either perished or found somewhere else to live/breed.

My pond is still teeming with life as the number of frogs increasing and tadpoles decrease. I’m not sure how many will survive the first year of life but I hope some will return to spawn when the time is right.

The garden is now in full bloom after and very well watered. The flowers and various plants, bushes and crops have attracted all sorts of insects, butterflies, and moths.

It’s fantastic to see so many of these creatures making our garden sufficiently interesting for them to visit, feed and breed.

This of course attracts birds and we’ve had frequent visits from the blue tits and great tits youngsters born in and around the garden.

One noticeable sight is the amount of goldfinches, swallows and swifts flying overhead or nearby feeding on the wing or in the surrounding fields and bushes.

But, the most exciting moment came when I noticed a bird I’ve never seen before was spotted nearby. It must live within 200m of our house as I’ve spotted it on numerous occasions observing the scene from the same lookout post.

The bird in questions is a little owl and we feel extremely grateful to be able to share our neighbourhood with us.

I first noticed it when a blackbird was issuing an alarm call in a field adjacent to our house. As it was still light I investigated what was bothering it and watched a similar sized bird fly up to a telegraph pole. I then noticed it on the same pole in the subsequent days and was able to identify it.

With a new arrival in our house due any day, updates may become infrequent as Sarah and I become enthusiastic parents! Hopefully we’ll do as well as our local wildlife.

BANK HOLIDAY BONANZA

Barbeque feeding session

What a weekend, well at least weather wise! Summer is officially here and as my partner, Sarah, planted the hanging baskets and window boxes, I was busy making sure the blue tits weren't going to fledge without me noticing.

While it was an interesting experience, it proved that wildlife doesn't confirm to human activity and won't rush along a fledging just to coincide with a bank holiday.

What I did learn was that blue tits are great parents, ignoring all manner of activity in the garden to continue providing food for their chicks in the nestbox.

As Sarah planted out the baskets, right underneath the nestbox, the blue tits made the initial alarm calls before realising she meant no harm and continued to feed the ever-louder chicks.

Even when we had a bbq for the neighbours and ate at a table underneath the nestbox, the parents continued to feed the chicks and inadvertently provide a small garden spectacular for me, Sarah and our guests.

I did help the viewing by handing out mealworms, but Neil and Fiona, Holly and Jonny, along with Andy, Sarah and me, watched in awe as the blue tit parents continued to feed the chicks.

Tomorrow I'll be putting up video footage, provided by Neil and Fiona's camera, of various wildlife activities, including that of the ducks and swallows.

Back to the blue tit chicks and I'm confident they will fledge this week, unfortunately I think I'll miss the fledging - unless they hold off until the weekend!

The wonderful weather coincided with the return of Springwatch. I thoroughly enjoyed the first programme and hope it continues to provide amateurs like me notes on how to provide a good habitat for all wildlife and watch them without disturbance.

Lots of footage tomorrow including that of a make blackbird's evening song.