March and early April brought some lovely weather that seemed to shake the wildlife into a frenzy of activity.
Not only the animals, but plants and trees have literally blossomed in the last few weeks.
The most exciting development has been the recent nest building activity from the great tit that has been 'renting' my nestbox fitted with a camera.
It's given me a view of life in spring of small birds I never thought I'd see.
After weeks of sleeping alone in the bare nestbox, I thought the great tit (I think it's a male) had a mate it would be sharing the night with.
At dusk a two weeks ago they both hung around a couple of trees often glancing at the nestbox, until the resident great tit entered, called for the other one, then gave up and went to sleep as I watched the other bird fly off.
Last Thursday the nest building started and in the series of pictures taken daily below. you can see how quickly and actively the nest has formed. The intricacy in how it's being built is a joy to simply marvel at.
I'll be continuing to update the nest building on a daily basis and hope to soon bring news of some early Easter eggs!
In other news the pond is showing little activity, while the flora of my garden is producing plenty of new plants from bulbs and I'm hoping to have some images up this weekend.
Other birds are busy nest building and generally getting excited about bringing new families into the world.
Finally the first sighting this year of a swallow came on Sunday, a sight I always remember since my primary school days watching swallows bring up youngsters in the barns we had on the farm I live on Wales.
Friday, 18 March 2011
SPRING SUNSHINE LIGHTS UP MARCH
The glow of spring sunshine is becoming a frequent image when I look out of the car, house or office.
The warmth isn't quite there yet, although in sheltered spots with little wind you can get an idea of what it'll be like in a few weeks. The daffodils are loving it though
Birds are obviously getting excited about the arrival of spring, with the dawn chorus a cacophony of sounds claiming territories and demonstrations of masculinity by many of our male feathered friends.
My excitement levels have reached unprecedented levels this week, not because of the sunshine or dawn chorus tunes, but by the emergence of a new TV star in my house!
Two weeks ago I fitted the nestbox, that has been used every year since I put it up, with a tiny camera that feeds live images 24-7 into a channel on my TV.
With four nestboxes I've trusted that the one I've chosen will be used again this year and provide some great shots of a family of great or blue tits growing up.
It still needs adjustment to the focus and wiring route, but it works and, it's what I've waited patiently for since 2007.
I checked it every night for five days, then left it over a weekend. On Sunday night I sneaked a view while Sarah wasn't looking and mush to my amazement, a bird was snuggled up in there!
In the last week I've checked every night and the same looking bird has spent the night in the box, only once giving me a clue to its identity. I think it's a great tit, but will confirm soon.
I want to leave it and get it settled so it knows the nestbox is a safe place to bring up a family, then one day soon it might start building a nest.
In other news the dunnocks are busy flirting with their fluttery wings, while the robins seem to have established which parts of the area they'll be 'owning' this year, after seemingly sharing some parts during the cold, ice and snowy conditions.
The blue tits, blackbirds, chaffinches, goldfinches, tree sparrows, long tailed tits and wrens are all in our garden daily, with frequent visits from a great spotted woodpecker, jays, woodpigeons and the resident cock pheasant.
This weekend I'm making final checks on my nestboxes before keeping my fingers crossed at least three of the four are used.
The pond will also be given a makeover, to help any returning frogs to spawn.
The warmth isn't quite there yet, although in sheltered spots with little wind you can get an idea of what it'll be like in a few weeks. The daffodils are loving it thoughBut the blossom on some of the trees is a beautiful light pink colour, reflected brilliantly be the low sun.
Birds are obviously getting excited about the arrival of spring, with the dawn chorus a cacophony of sounds claiming territories and demonstrations of masculinity by many of our male feathered friends.My excitement levels have reached unprecedented levels this week, not because of the sunshine or dawn chorus tunes, but by the emergence of a new TV star in my house!
Two weeks ago I fitted the nestbox, that has been used every year since I put it up, with a tiny camera that feeds live images 24-7 into a channel on my TV.
With four nestboxes I've trusted that the one I've chosen will be used again this year and provide some great shots of a family of great or blue tits growing up.
It still needs adjustment to the focus and wiring route, but it works and, it's what I've waited patiently for since 2007.
I checked it every night for five days, then left it over a weekend. On Sunday night I sneaked a view while Sarah wasn't looking and mush to my amazement, a bird was snuggled up in there!
In the last week I've checked every night and the same looking bird has spent the night in the box, only once giving me a clue to its identity. I think it's a great tit, but will confirm soon.
I want to leave it and get it settled so it knows the nestbox is a safe place to bring up a family, then one day soon it might start building a nest.
In other news the dunnocks are busy flirting with their fluttery wings, while the robins seem to have established which parts of the area they'll be 'owning' this year, after seemingly sharing some parts during the cold, ice and snowy conditions.The blue tits, blackbirds, chaffinches, goldfinches, tree sparrows, long tailed tits and wrens are all in our garden daily, with frequent visits from a great spotted woodpecker, jays, woodpigeons and the resident cock pheasant.
This weekend I'm making final checks on my nestboxes before keeping my fingers crossed at least three of the four are used.
The pond will also be given a makeover, to help any returning frogs to spawn.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
SPRING IS COMING
With daffodils emerging and snowdrops appearing everywhere, we can only assume spring is in the air.
I know it was a bit cold last night, but frosts can be expected until April at least.
So my Blue Tit blog is starting again with an added extra - a bird box camera. My partner Sarah bought me the camera system for Christmas but it's taken me a while to have the time to set it up.
Only thing I'm now waiting for is the extension lead to fit the camera to the bird box that has been occupied since I put it up in January 2008.
In 2008 and 2009 a pair of blue tits brought up five and six youngsters respectively, whether it was the same pair I just don't know.
In 2010 the blue tits were usurped by the great tits, who brought up six chicks. The blue tits moved next door to a cavity in the wall left by an outlet pipe.
One amazing evening with golden sunlight lighting the garden, both sets of chicks started to fledge within minutes of me arriving home from work. Three hours later I'd watched them fledge, find their wings in the nearby trees and fly off with their parents.
I have four nest boxes now in the garden, and in 2010 a pair of robins nested in the open-fronted box hidden in the honeysuckle. Will they come back this year? I hope so.
I've kept the birds with food during the winter and now have the usual suspects of blue, great and long tailed tits, robins, blackbirds, dunnocks, tree sparrows, chaffinches and goldfinches along with the now regular jays and great spotted woodpeckers. The wrens are still around, but more irregular.
I'm checking the nestboxes for roosting activity next weekend, then clearing anything out ready for the 2011 spring and summer residents. Fingers crossed they arrive!
I know it was a bit cold last night, but frosts can be expected until April at least.
So my Blue Tit blog is starting again with an added extra - a bird box camera. My partner Sarah bought me the camera system for Christmas but it's taken me a while to have the time to set it up.
Only thing I'm now waiting for is the extension lead to fit the camera to the bird box that has been occupied since I put it up in January 2008.
In 2008 and 2009 a pair of blue tits brought up five and six youngsters respectively, whether it was the same pair I just don't know.
In 2010 the blue tits were usurped by the great tits, who brought up six chicks. The blue tits moved next door to a cavity in the wall left by an outlet pipe.
One amazing evening with golden sunlight lighting the garden, both sets of chicks started to fledge within minutes of me arriving home from work. Three hours later I'd watched them fledge, find their wings in the nearby trees and fly off with their parents.
I have four nest boxes now in the garden, and in 2010 a pair of robins nested in the open-fronted box hidden in the honeysuckle. Will they come back this year? I hope so.
I've kept the birds with food during the winter and now have the usual suspects of blue, great and long tailed tits, robins, blackbirds, dunnocks, tree sparrows, chaffinches and goldfinches along with the now regular jays and great spotted woodpeckers. The wrens are still around, but more irregular.
I'm checking the nestboxes for roosting activity next weekend, then clearing anything out ready for the 2011 spring and summer residents. Fingers crossed they arrive!
Friday, 2 April 2010
WINTER RETURNS
Just when we thought spring had sprung, winter unleashed another spell of treacherous weather to most parts of the UK.
If you didn't get snow, then you will have noticed the drop in temperature, just when the first blossom of the season had started to liven the bare shrubs, trees and countryside.
The weather has also dampened the spirits of the local birds, with nestbuilding and courtships of the robins, blue tits, great tits and dunnocks (among others) slowing down.
The activity around the nestboxes is continuing and the birds are certainly pairing off and the flocks shrinking.
With a wet Easter forecast I'm hoping the weather improves so the wildlife can get on with the season of breeding and provide a summer spectacle of new faces in the garden.
The pond is continuing to thrive, although no signs of frogspawn. Hopefully next week will bring some good news.
Happy Easter everyone.
If you didn't get snow, then you will have noticed the drop in temperature, just when the first blossom of the season had started to liven the bare shrubs, trees and countryside.
The weather has also dampened the spirits of the local birds, with nestbuilding and courtships of the robins, blue tits, great tits and dunnocks (among others) slowing down.
The activity around the nestboxes is continuing and the birds are certainly pairing off and the flocks shrinking.
With a wet Easter forecast I'm hoping the weather improves so the wildlife can get on with the season of breeding and provide a summer spectacle of new faces in the garden.
The pond is continuing to thrive, although no signs of frogspawn. Hopefully next week will bring some good news.
Happy Easter everyone.
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