THE FIRST SWALLOW HAS BEEN SPOTTED

For the second successive year I spotted the first swallow swooping around the house and garden on April 7^th.

It means they’re returning a full two weeks earlier compared to in 2015.

The current dates, since 2014, are:

2014 – 19^th April

2015 – 21^st April

2016 – 10^th April

2017 – 8^th April

2018 – 7^th April

2019 – 7^th April

I could go on endlessly about these birds, but for me they are my favourite bar none.

I think it goes back to growing up on a farm in Wales and having them nest every year in the outbuildings, often rescuing a chick that had fallen out of a nest.

They are graceful while airborne and close up, if you can catch them staying still for long enough, the colours are breathtakingly beautiful.

I’m hoping to get more glimpses of them over Easter weekend, and see just how many have returned.

A pair of great tits have been marking out the main nest box as theirs this year, including singing very loudly from 5am every morning by the bedroom window and regularly occupying the trees and bushes around the garden warning each other when we’re in the garden.

I’ve not seen any nesting activity, but hopefully Easter will again reveal evidence.

Finally, the pond and the area around it are really brightening up in the warming spring air, well maybe the sunny conditions with warming up starting about now.

It’s great to see the pond back and looking so good, and it means the girls can uncover more facts about wildlife in the garden and pond.

Luckily both are very happy to learn and take in the new flowers, birds and insects the garden and pond attracts.

WILL THE FIRST FROST OF THE AUTUMN SIGNAL BIRDS BACK IN THE GARDEN?

After the first storms of the colder seasons, one an ex-hurricane, the garden has played host to the first frost.

It wasn’t exactly too cold, but perhaps it’ll be an early signal for the birds to start coming back to the garden in search of food – particularly if they know there’s a constant and varied supply.

The number of flying insects has definitely diminished, and spiders seem to be getting ready for the winter by hiding away.

There’ll be a clean up of the nest boxes soon, to prepare winter roosting places for some birds, although it remains to be seen if any will use the camera boxes.

With leaves falling everywhere, the earthworms have a bounty and the work on producing nourishing soils for next year’s vegetables and flowers will soon begin.

This winter we’re promised storms and bitterly cold weather, but aren’t we promised this every year?

Until the car temperature gauge shows it and the snow piles up on the ground, many, including the wildlife will simply prepare for winter as normal.

NESTING ACTION IS FINALLY STARTING

Just a week after expressing worries about the nesting season, and one of the nest box cameras revealed the start of a nest!

Unsurprisingly it’s the nest box that has seen a nest every year since it was introduced in 2008.

As yet the identity of the birds building the nest is unknown, but judging by previous nests the suspicion is it is a pair of blue tits.

The nest camera will be getting plenty of views over the coming days to try and put a name to the nest builders.

The other nest box camera, which is part of a three section nest box set up, has not seen any nesting action, and it’s likely that once again the other two sections of the nest box will be used for nesting.

It does seem as if spring has literally sprung into life in the last few days, and the wildlife around the garden has responded accordingly.

Bees are buzzing around the garden, taking drinks of nectar from the growing number of flowers in bloom, while the dawn chorus is in full flow – some days it acts as an alarm clock.

Spiders are busy constructing webs, hoping to trap the increasing number of flying insects, while the insect eating birds are hoping to capture some of them to feed up before the nests are completed and eggs laid.

It’ll hopefully be then that the caterpillar bonanza will occur and the newly hatched chicks will benefit.

AUTUMN TAKES HOLD AS THE COUNTRYSIDE CHANGES COLOUR

The beautiful autumnal colours are starting to show and, combined with the lower level of the sun, are producing some exceptional colouring of the countryside.

Of course it’s the time of year when we start seeing winter visitors coming to these shores, the summer visitors have mostly left for warmer climes and those who stay start seeking warm and safe places to sleep.

The house sparrows are still roosting above the front door and kitchen window, although the leaves of the climbing plant are now starting to leave the site a little bit exposed, so I expect they’ll be finding somewhere new soon.

It’s this time of year that we have more chance of seeing the badgers and foxes out on the lane, although only the local rabbits and squirrels have been spotted so far.

The garden visitors are mainly confined to the house sparrow families. The blackbirds and robins have not been around for a few weeks, while the blue tits, great tits and dunnocks are seen a few times a week.

This time of year can be quite quiet in the garden, so it’ll be a few weeks before it’ll be tidied up and ready for winter.

Some areas will be carefully managed to support wildlife over the coldest season, but others will be prepared for spring when early insects will need a supply of early flowers and nectar to sustain them.

Talking of insects the crane flies have stopped invading the house and left it to the wasps, who are looking for a warm and cosy home for the winter.

In recent years ladybirds and butterflies have used the house as a winter refuge, it remains to be seen if that will happen again this year.