DROUGHT CONDITIONS IMMINENT?

The results of the breeding season are clearing being heard in the trees, bushes and hedgerows around the garden.

The good news is, despite the five blue tit chicks that sadly died in the garden, there are plenty of successful broods that have fledged – many making noises to claim a post-nest feed from their parents.

But with another heatwave having already started, and predicted to continue for at least another week, let’s hope they find enough water and daytime shelter to keep hydrated.

The local streams are running dry, so I’ll be supplying extra water for those in need.

No further updates on the robins or blackbirds, although they haven't been seen really for a couple of days, so I don't expect any chicks from the hedge or nest box in the ivy.

No rain is predicted until July, so the flora is also needing support, particularly the flourishing broad beans.

The sunflowers are definitely strengthening, while the tomato plants are showing signs of enjoying the heat.

Watering is now happening every night, with the watering can and hose getting a lot more use than last year.

The only concern is if the rain shortage continues it might lead to a hosepipe ban, and then the plants will be in trouble.

Many will love the warm sunny weather, but it does mean wildlife can be negatively affected, although not all.

The swallows are loving this weather and it might help them raise two or even three broods this year.

The first brood is due to fledge very soon, and their chattering song, often expressing delight during an evening feeding session, is one of my favourite sounds of the summer.

IT’S GETTING QUIET IN THE GARDEN

After the blue tits and great tits recently fledged, the garden has become a much quieter place. 

The chicks can sometimes be heard in the trees and bushes nearby, but their begging cries for food from their parent will soon disappear; as they learn how to find their own food and the parents take them further away from the garden area.

In the absence of the tits and their youngsters, the sound of house sparrows and swooping swallows is infrequently heard.

However the house sparrows may become more prominent as a pair of house sparrows has taken interest in the blue tit nest box and nest.

In previous years the house sparrows have nested a couple of times on top of an abandoned tit nest, and it seems this may be happening again – hopefully they won’t block the camera view!

The magpies have also moved away, with their fledglings, although they may well be in the same areas as the young smaller birds – which may result in some of the tits not being able to return to the garden in later summer and autumn.

After the slugs and snails tried to take out the young sunflowers, the survivors are doing ok in the garden.

The tomato plants and the broad beans are also out in the garden, and hopefully will continue to grow in this warm and often wet weather.

There’s be more planting going on in the garden in the coming weeks, so hopefully growing conditions will continue to be favourable – plenty of sun once the plants are able to bear fruit.

NESTING ACTION IS LIMITED

The garden has seen very little in the way of nesting behaviour so far, although some signs of courtship among the local bird population has been noted.

Near to the garden numerous magpies are collecting sticks for nesting, while some have even almost completed nests.

However the nest boxes have seen absolutely nothing, which is unusual because in previous years, at least one nest box would have already been taken – indeed in some years they’re taken in January.

The weather is certainly becoming cooler again and while numerous blue and great tits have been seen to inspect the emerging bulbs on trees and bushes, it may be that it’s not quite right to start building a nest yet.

It’s not a convincing theory, but one this garden is hoping is true, otherwise it’ll be the first year no nests have been recorded here in a decade.

Are the cats, who are continuing to use the garden as a toilet, to blame? If so then action will be taken to combat this trend.

Locally the smaller trees are slowly starting to turn green and bring some colour to the area, while the birds are always excited when the bird feeders in the trees are filled up.

Indeed they are on the feeders within seconds of them being hung up again, full of peanuts and seeds.

WINTER STORMS BLAST THROUGH THE GARDEN

In the last post it mentioned ‘non-stormy winter’, well that certainly isn’t true now! A pretty ferocious storm has passed and another one, with less ferociousness, is currently running across most of the UK.

The first one had a big impact on the garden and surrounding area, with trees down, bushes bent over and one of the birds feeders being blown into oblivion – never to be seen again.

Three others survived in situ and have been a welcome supply of food for the birds after they had to spend many hours hunkered down away from the wind and rain.

The two nest box cameras are working, albeit only one is able to translate night images, but both have revealed no activity at all, which is very unusual for this late in February.

One nest box designed for tits, which has never been used, has been redesigned to suit robins, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one of the locally resident birds use it.

It’s been semi covered with rose and ivy, so time will tell if that’s enough cover for them.

The blossom on the trees that emerged last week following the mild weather has been scattered over a wide area, so it may mean a depleted crop of fruit this year.

Cats are still a big problem and I wonder if them being in our garden is making the birds nervous and causing them to look for nest sites elsewhere.

The cat patrol has been stepped up and all cats near the garden are being firmly chased away.

Will it work? The birds will benefit if it does.