So happy to come across a buddleia bush covered in Peacock butterflies and this morning a large gathering of swallows on the hunt for insects. Sightings like this have become scarce recently, but it certainly made my day to see them. I've noticed a lot more Red Admirals than last year.
I had a fairly close encounter with our roe deer last night. She was walking up the drive when I came out to get in the car. Normally she moves away fairly quickly whenever she sees a human but this time she just stood and watched me without getting too twitchy. She let me get within about 15 feet before moving slowly away.
Obviously I hadn't scared her off as she was lying on the lawn with her kid this morning.
I have been watching greenfinches eating seeds from our Smoke Tree, cotinus coggygria. Lovely to see their numbers recover after the population crashed through disease a few years ago.
I have been watching greenfinches eating seeds from our Smoke Tree, cotinus coggygria. Lovely to see their numbers recover after the population crashed through disease a few years ago.
I didn't know that. I've had a few at my feeders recently for the first time so that might be why. Thank you.
I’ve been seeing very high numbers of greenfinches at my feeders this summer. Last week when I did my weekly reporting to the BTO I reported 12 (the highest number of birds seen at one time) which is the highest figure for a long time. August can be a bad time for the finch disease Trichomonosis, but hopefully with more publicity regarding cleaning bird feeders we won’t see too much, fingers crossed anyway.
I've been hearing greenfinches a lot this year, if not always actually seeing them, so yes hopefully their numbers are up. I saw my first yellow wagtail while out on a walk the other day, annoyingly I had no camera to capture it!
This year in my garden I've had a woodpecker!!! This may not sound like much to you but they are ridiculously rare here and in fact my wildlife book says there are none. Obviously it's quite old so probably out of date. I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked out and saw it on the feeders. I thought for a moment it was a giant mutant goldfinch. (I had dozens of those...not mutant ones). Same colours, different order. I've had a nesting pair of Jays for two years now and the resultant oak tree seedlings are coming up on two feet high. I've seen a pine marten mooching about round the rhododendron. Bullfinches, goldcrests, willow warblers, grey and pied wagtails, siskins (vicious wee brutes), greenfinches and of course all the rest of the gang. It's been great so far.
The buzzard parents are out and about with their current family, teaching them to fly and hunt. The youngsters get so noisy with excitement, screaming for Mum and Dad to admire their prowess. There has been a lot of playing on thermals, more fun than the serious job of hunting. It is lovely to watch them all. Not long before Mum and Dad start chasing the youngsters away to find their own patches ready for next year.
My neighbours bantam cockerel has disappeared. No feathers or remains. Mr. Reynard is primary suspect, followed closely by Mr. Badger who has lately been digging in the banks of our lane. I had no idea a badger would kill a chicken but apparently they do. With young families to feed a plump bantam would make a tasty dinner for young ones. Not too big to put up much of a fight, easy pickings.
Top wildlife tip: A knackered rugby ball abandoned in a sunny spot makes a great basking area for baby lizards. I'm not sure how old these are but they're still hanging about with mum so they might have been born in within the last couple of days. There are two on the ball and one with mum on the edge of the herb bed. Mum looks like a deflated rugby ball herself.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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I saw my first yellow wagtail while out on a walk the other day, annoyingly I had no camera to capture it!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked out and saw it on the feeders. I thought for a moment it was a giant mutant goldfinch. (I had dozens of those...not mutant ones). Same colours, different order.
I've had a nesting pair of Jays for two years now and the resultant oak tree seedlings are coming up on two feet high.
I've seen a pine marten mooching about round the rhododendron. Bullfinches, goldcrests, willow warblers, grey and pied wagtails, siskins (vicious wee brutes), greenfinches and of course all the rest of the gang. It's been great so far.
My neighbours bantam cockerel has disappeared. No feathers or remains. Mr. Reynard is primary suspect, followed closely by Mr. Badger who has lately been digging in the banks of our lane. I had no idea a badger would kill a chicken but apparently they do. With young families to feed a plump bantam would make a tasty dinner for young ones. Not too big to put up much of a fight, easy pickings.