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.

SPRING IS SPRUNG

There may not be swallows or house martins in the air, but spring has certainly sprung with many wonderful tones filling the air.

I've been hearing chiffchaffs singing for a few days now and while I was listening over the weekend I noticed a female blackbird with a fledgling feeding in the garden.

I'm sure this is much earlier than last year.

It's all timing with a prolonged spell of warmish early spring weather, with plenty of sunshine on offer.

The birds, trees and flora have all responded, with green seemingly appearing by the minute on trees around my house.

The great tits are certainly making themselves at home in the nestbox with the camera - the onyl problem is the camera is not working. This weekend it's my challenge to get that sorted - can't be missing the chicks!

This spring I'm going to spend some of my weekends walking the lanes near my home, to see what the wildlife is doing; indeed to see exactly what wildlife we have hear.

I fear the great spotted woodpeckers have moved on elsewhere as the dead tree which they seemed to occupy has now fallen.

With the clocks going forward this weekend I plan to spend Sunday evening looking for new arrivals from abroad and see just who is making their home where I live.

Can I see any swallows this weekend? I doubt it, but with sightings already confirmed in the UK, surely it will be very soon.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

The warmth of this week has brought many things out, including buds on trees, green shoots on seemingly dead plants and me into our garden to start a spring clean and planting session.

The wildlife has also been abundant with a family of long tailed tits paying more visits to the feeders this week, than the whole of winter.

I'm guessing the natural food source has run dry and spring is yet to provide sufficient supplies.

The great tit is still roosting in the nestbox with the camera but, I'm having a few technical problems so the camera is not always working.

Next weekend the pond will become a boggy area filled with nectar rich flowers and plants for the bees and butterflies, but today it was the honeysuckle that had a sever trim, to encourage it to grow with the fence rather than away from it and cover the patio.

The robin/blackbird nextbox was exposed, but I'm hoping to create a more enticing home for raising chicks as it has only been used once in four years.

In other news the blossom on the fruit tree has already started to show, which is two weeks earlier than 2011 according to my blog.

It's great to hear the morning bird song at the moment as it shows the birds can almost taste spring and the riches it brings.

Territories are being confirmed and pairs are looking for nest sites to raise a brood. It all brings an exciting air to the house, garden and local area, though winter could always come back with a sting in the tail.

The winter rose has blossomed recently and has been joined by some early eager daffodils. How long before others show their colours?

Finally I've planted my firsts seeds of the year, so I'm hoping to see some rewards for my early endeavours. Four tomato seedling pots are on the window ledge and waiting for the right time to emerge as green shoots.

RETURN OF THE TIT CAM

So winter has finally arrived, although only some of the country has seen snow. Yes I'm jealous that my garden has not seen a single snowflake.

Since the start of the proper cold spell, I've noticed that my nestbox camera has been filming something other than the inside of the box.

It coincided with the camera actually working after it stopped emitting images for most of January.

For the last week a great tit has been roosting in the nextbox and I'm hoping it continues to use the nestbox in a similar pattern to 2011.

That's when a great tit roosted from February until it and its mate started nest building int April and the produced eight eggs, before raising and fledging eight chicks.

I doubt if all have survived as the local sparrowhawk can often be seen down the lanes, but I do hope a few have made it to this breeding season.

One thing I do wonder is if this great tit is the same one as last year, though I guess I'll never find out.

I'll be updating this blog more regularly now and hopefully it'll continued to focus on the nestbox camera.

In other news the garden has seen hardly any of the usual visitors, with great tits, blue tits, blackbirds, robins, dunnocks, tree sparrows and house sparrows continuing to visit the garden and my winter handouts of fat balls and peanuts.

Only in the recent cold weather have a witnessed a family of long tailed tits along with a few chaffinches and goldfinches.

Last winter the long tailed tits, greater spotted woodpeckers and jays were commonly seen in my garden, but this year the mild weather has meant natural food supplies are still in stock meaning many birds are not requiring the hand outs from gardens.

Currently the great tit is getting more sleep in one night (14 hours) than I do in two! Luckily I know this will diminish to about five hours per night if chicks are produced.

I love winter, but do enjoy the live and wildlife activity of spring, which is handy because it'll soon be the season of breeding.

WARM DECEMBER

December has been completely different to last year and sometimes during the month it resembled spring; so much so that some of the plants in the garden started producing flowers and a few tress around the house actually showed a few buds.

The odd cooler spell ensured these quickly stopped, but unless cold weather comes soon they'll start up again.

The forecast suggests colder weather is on the way, but will it be cold enough to make sure nature will refresh life.

I'm continuing to feed the birds, but I've still not seen many of the usual winter visitors to the offerings. Long tailed tits, chaffinches, wrens, great spotter woodpecker and jay are just a few of the winter sites I've become fond of seeing.

Instead it's the robins, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, dunnocks and sparrows (tree and house) that are feasting on the peanuts, seeds and fat balls.

This year started off with a very cold January and lots of snow, had a mild spring, a wet summer, a windy autumn and finished with a mild start to winter.

The great tits occupied the main nestbox (with camera) and raised a brood of eight chicks, all who fledged. How many have survived until now is anyone's guess - probably about three or four.

I've been keeping an eye on the nextbox through the camera and have not seen any activity - last winter various birds roosted there but I expect to see some if the really cold weather comes upon us.

Finally this year will be the last for the pond, as it makes way for a more child-friendly boggy area. Still it's another area of the garden that is wildlife friendly and I'll start work on that in a few weeks.

NOVEMBER WIND BUT WARMTH!

So the warm November continues and it's starting the have a spring-like effect on the wildlife in my garden.

One of the trees is showing signs of buds appearing it and this is while it still has golden brown leaves on it.

The number of birds in and around the garden is actually decreasing as it appears the natural food is still giving them more than enough food.

I'm still seeing birds, mainly blue tits, great tits, robins, dunnocks and tree sparrows, but not often and certainly not in big numbers as normally seen in November.

This time in 2010 the country was being battered by northerly winds and many areas were covered in snow.

The white stuff is not even on the Scottish mountains, never mind on lower levels.

I'm not sure that winter will even arrive next week, but when it does arrive my garden is ready for the invasion of hungry birds.

HAS FROSTY THE SNOWMAN FORGETTEN IT'S NOVEMBER?

The bird feeders have once again been filled up but they weren't even empty which is unusual for mid November.

The garden is still being visited by the usual characters of blue tits, great tits, tree sparrows, dunnocks, blackbirds and robins.

My weekly highlight was holding my daughter and watching her eyes light up and practically try to jump out of my arms with excitement as she watched a robin eat a worm from about two foot away.

She then waved as the bird flew off to digest the worm.

The lawn is covered with worm casts which I hope means the soil is getting a good working over by the worms and is going to provided us with a nice green, grassy lawn.

Although I'm looking forward to welcoming winter in the garden I'm enjoying the mild weather and hoping it helps make next year a great breeding season for all wildlife.

Will my next blog have a frosty glint? Tune in to find.