SNOW IN THE GARDEN IN MARCH – AS PREDICTED!

Within a few days of my last post about snow in the garden in March, it snowed in the garden. The first snow it has seen this winter.

It wasn’t exactly a snowstorm and didn’t last that long before it melted away, but it certainly brought a sense of reality to the wildlife.

 The long tailed tits have been spending much more time in the garden in the last week, making use of the bird feeders. But they are often bullied at the feeders, so were left pinching bits of scraps as the blackbirds, robins, great tits and sparrows gorged themselves.

Another caterpillar found it’s way in to the house via the front door, but I suspect it’s the same bright green one I saw a few weeks ago. The Butterfly Conversation kindly told me on twitter that is was an Angle Shades caterpillar.

The other darker caterpillar was/is an Old Lady. Both are moths and the sightings are not unusual at this time of year.

The Angle Shades caterpillar might even emerge as an adult in the coming weeks, whereas the Old Lady is usually seen as an adult in the summer.

Neither nest boxes have had any overnight ‘guests’ this week, which is a bit surprising as this time last year at least one had some nest building occurring. 

I’ve kept the smaller hole on the new nest box as I’d like blue tits to take it over, but I might have to rethink that and put the bigger one on, if nothing uses it this year.

More cold and wintry weather is forecast, so it’ll be interesting to see how the wildlife reacts as we head towards Easter.

WILL THE GARDEN SEE SNOW IN MARCH?

Recent overnight frosts have not appeared to be too damaging to the flora that has emerged a little earlier than usual.

Indeed plenty of blossom and traditional spring flowers were out before the first snowdrops appeared.

I had wondered whether any birds had started nesting, but after a check up on all the nest boxes I have seen no evidence of any nesting material.

It meant good news for installing a new camera to replace the one in the triple sparrow nest box, which had been broken thanks to a mouse that hadn’t taken to kindly to it being in a place it was sleeping.

The camera was obviously putting off the birds nesting, as the other two boxes sections have been used since it was first erected. The mouse and a new nest box (with roof space for the camera) have meant a change of camera location.

The new camera installation has taken three sections of work, but is now fully operational as the images below demonstrates. The first one is the new nest box, the second one the original one.

Now there will be a lot of finger crossing as human eyes will be firmly focused on both cameras to check for any movement.

The new nest box has a smaller entrance as I’m hoping to bring back the blue tits, as they have not nested in the garden for a number of years – mainly sue to the house sparrows, tree sparrows and great tits.

There has been no sign of the caterpillars and I suspect they have crawled away to hide from the recent overnight frosts and prepare for warmer spell before emerging again.

Finally, the long tailed tits have been visiting regularly in recent days. It’s lovely to see and hear these birds in close proximity to the house although as there were only two of them I do wonder if the previously seen larger group has disbanded ahead of the breeding season, or these are two outcasts. 

WINTER SHIVERS NOT LASTING LONG

The current cold snap (cold by this winter’s standards) is not good for the bulbs and plethora of blossom that is now appearing in the garden and surrounding countryside

The emergence of these significant signs of spring have not been lost on flora or fauna, with two sightings of caterpillars in the garden.

I don’t know what type of moth or butterfly either of these caterpillars will (perhaps won’t now) grow into, but I’ve not seen them since the colder weather turned up.

The snowdrops are stating to emerge, as is the usual winter rose, but both are behind the odd tulip and crocus that have already flowered.

It’s strange to see this happening, but I guess it shows nature goes by temperature and reacts to other species, be they flora or fauna.

The birds are certainly eating up the offerings of fat snacks, peanuts and seeds, but they’re not venturing into the garden as often as in past winters, or indeed staying for long.

I’m hoping to work up the camera in the new nest box in the next couple of weeks, now that the birds have used to it being on the wall.

There is obviously a significant degree of hope that no mice venture inside and nibble off the antenna to the camera and cause a ‘black out’.

Now we’re in the middle of February I wonder if winter is actually simply passing us by this year or will March, as it has done previously, bring us snow, biting northerly winds and sub zero daytime temperatures.

If it does then the blossom laden trees and early nesting birds will be in for a big shock.

WINTER TEMPTATIONS NOT ATTRACTING USUAL WINTER VISITORS

This weekend the garden had three pairs of human eyes looking out for birds, although they weren’t the only eyes looking at the garden. There was also by a pair of cat eyes – an unwelcome sight for everyone else.

Once the cat was chased off the counting began; the first tick in the box came for the… grey squirrel, which was quite ironic as we’d not seen one for a couple of months!

But the usual suspects started turning up soon after and within an hour we’d seen most of the birds we see during a weekend.

House sparrow – 8

Tree sparrow – 5

Blue tit – 4

Goldfinch – 4

Dunnock – 4

Blackbird – 3

Robin – 2

Great tit – 2

Magpie – 2

Wren – 1

Unfortunately no long tailed tits, great spotted woodpeckers or starlings, but I know they’re around.

The new nest box has been up for a week and it now has one of the cameras inside it. I hope it will not put off the birds like it has done in in one of the boxes in the triple sparrow nest box.

There is hope for it because it does have a pitched roof, which can house the camera and not interfere with nest building or even put any birds of nesting there.

The only location for the nest box is underneath the triple sparrow nest box, and hopefully the ivy growing up the wall will act as a cover to the entrance. It could even keep the noise down from the noisy sparrow neighbours!

With winter only showing glimpses of its might, sometimes just for a night of low (ish) temperatures before reaching 10c or more the next day, it’s no wonder not many fieldfares, redwings and other wintering birds haven’t been seen.

Instead tulips, crocuses, daffodils and snowdrops are all either growing or flowering. It’s great adding colour to the garden in January, but I fear winter has one big icy blast up its sleeve.

And given the odd report of swallows wintering in the UK and ducklings being born in December and January, I hope no garden birds decide to start the breeding season early and get caught out by winter finally getting its act together.

WILL THE WINTER VISITORS NOW FLOCK IN TO THE GARDEN?

Now that winter has started to show it can bring cold weather, there is an increased hope that a few traditional birds will visit the garden feeders and berries still present on the pyracantha bush

While the garden hasn’t seen any frost or snow, the general temperature has been noticeably dropping in the last couple of days and it won’t be long before a carpet of whiteness will layer the land.

It will hopefully bring more birds, and perhaps mammals, to the food on offer and with it potential closer encounters with the local predators – kestrel, sparrowhawk and even the peregrine falcons that live nearby.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the new nest box was unable to be erected, but it will be in the next couple of weeks.

And because of the increased roof space it’ll be able to better accommodate the second camera that has been putting off nesting birds in the triple sparrow nest box.

It is definitely putting off nesting birds because the other two boxes have been used in the two summers it’s been erected.

I knew one was used in the summer last year, but while cleaning them in the last couple of days I found the two without a camera had been used (see below).

Sadly the bird box that has been used by house sparrows, blue tits, great tits and tree sparrows, had five dead sparrows in it (see below).

The positive news was that it was the sixth brood from last summer so between 20 and 30 new house sparrows were brought in to the local population from that nest box.

In the eight years since it was put up there have been an estimated 150+ birds fledging from that nest box, something which is not bad for a small(ish) rural garden.

BIRDS ARE NOW USING THE GARDEN FEEDERS

There has been a rise in the number of small birds visiting the garden and this must be down to a combination of cooler weather and the decreasing amount of natural food resources left in the countryside.

Of course it’s still very wet, but colder overnight temperatures mean the need to conserve energy by locating a good food source and staying close to it.

Unfortunately the weather isn’t cold enough to see some of the more infrequent visitors to the garden – so no long tailed tits, redwing, fieldfare etc.

Instead it’s the more year round visitors in house sparrows, tree sparrows, blue tits, great tits, blackbirds, robins and dunnocks.

It’s great to see these birds in the garden and I hope some will once again utilise the nest boxes in the garden or even the natural resources.

I’d just finished writing this post when a family of long tailed tits flew into the garden, spending about 20 minutes feeding and chattering. A lovely winter (or any other time) sight in the garden.

One of the jobs during winter is to clean out the nest boxes to make them a lot more hygienic for the birds – and provide them with something they can build something in rather than have a ready built nest from last year which is likely to contact bugs and even parasites.

It also gives a chance to look at how well the nests have been made and see just how many have been occupied.

In 2014 it was the tree and house sparrows that dominated the boxes, but this year I’m hoping to see at least one pair of blue tits or great tits nesting in the garden nest boxes.

The biggest clue will be when the winter overnight roosting takes place, which will need the weather to get a bit colder.

Until then the feeders will need to be topped up and wait for winter to bring its worst. I hope that’s soon so the midges and little flies that are plaguing the garden will be put out of action.