Sunday 14th February 2021
House Sparrows exploring the multiple nest box on the house wall and the Vegetable garden multiblock. They have been doing so for the last couple of days so thought it was time to check all the box locations and revise the my BTO records. This done and now have 50 potential man made nesting boxes for a variety of species. Let's hope they are used!
A period of really cold weather; snow, ice and a bitter wind. Feeders have been topped up but this year has not been very productive for visiting birds, just the usual House Sparrows, Starling, Blue and Great tit with the occasional Long tailed ad Coal Tit and Goldfinch. Very few Chaffinch and no Brambling.
Thursday 18th February
A quiet morning in the garden. Starling as usual on the feeders and a Coal Tit was putting in fleeting visits to gather sunflower seeds.
No more nest box activity and the pond is quiet as the frogs are yet to return. Aconites and snow drops are out around the apple tree and the crocus are in full flower around the pond.
The fruit trees have all been given their winter wash and Debbie has pruned both of the apple trees.
Seeds are being planted on the potting shed with Sweet Pea, Marigolds, Cauliflower leading the way!
Saturday 20th February
A pleasant morning spent moving a couple of bird boxes that had not been used to new locations to see if that helps.
Two new bee houses finished and up. Both in a nice sunny location facing south with clear flight paths.
I gave the pond a clear out, no frogs yet but Debbie found a couple or really big ones in the flower bed so maybe they will be returning shortly.
Shallots and Japanese onions in this afternoon under a dome cloche, the season has started!
Potting shed is filling up with seed trays. Hopefully we'll have a good season.
Frog update
Three frogs in the pond by the end of the afternoon. The first returns for this year.
Sunday 21st February
Not as warm as yesterday so little activity around the pond. Increasing number of Ladybirds emerging out of habitation and gathering in small clusters in warm locations.
Decided to make a photo record of the different types of nest and insect boxes scattered around the place.
 |
Home made: Open fronted box (Robin) hidden in the pyracanth bush |
 |
| First Frog Spawn of the year 2021: 19th March Saturday 20th The frogs continue to gather in the pond and 'do their stuff!' We have been working in the garden all day so they have got used to us passing back and forth and so continue to croak and remain on the surface as we pass by giving the opportunity for a fairly accurate count of 42 individuals so far. I am concerned that all the spawn so far is in a very shallow part of the pond and so at risk of being eaten or freezing if we get a frost. The Blue Tits are busy exploring the boxes with one being in and doing some DIY to the one at the apex of the workshop front. I heard it on Thursday scratching away in the box and it was there again today. The House Sparrow continue to go in and out of the Veg Garden 'flats'. I've set up the Wildlife camera to cover the pond for the next couple of days to record the frogs and to see what else might be visiting.     Frog count this afternoon: 45 Moved the wildlife camera from the pond to in front of the hedgehog box to see what might be using it. When checked last week no sign of a hedgehog but signs that something was going in and out. We shall, hopefully see! Wednesday 24th The frogs have done their business and have now left the pond. There is at least seven lots of frogspawn which shows that of the 45 frogs visiting seven were female. Very quiet on the nest box front with little activity this week. Check on the wildlife camera that has been in the vegetable garden for the last few days. The usual Blackbird around and about and images of Annie sleeping in front of the camera! A nocturnal video revealed our hedgehog out and about in the wild flower area. Nocturnal audio recordings made Wednesday into Thursday of last week resulted in a passage of at least nine Redwing passing over between 21.40 and 03.30 as well as three Moorhen during the recording period and the local Blackbird giving off five alarm calls during the night. I also had two mystery calls one of which I've placed on Xeno-Canto to see if it can be identified. |
|
Room for rent, not many left! |
The Blackbird continues to occupy the nest in the clematis so no pruning allowed!
25th June
Nesting catch up:
The Lows
3rd May: Robin abandoned nest by Yew Tree, 4 eggs in nest
19th May: House Sparrow abandoned North Facing 3 (of 6)
29th May: Blue Tit box on rear of workshop fell silent! 4 chicks had been counted previously on following up 2 were dead. I'm assuming the other two have departed.
It seems to have been a hard year for the Blue Tits. Very little activity around the nest boxes with only one occupied as opposed to other years when we had at least 3 nests on the go. The wet weather and lack of caterpillars has had a great detrimental affect.
8th June: The Blackbird tried again and hatched 2 and had two eggs. Sadly the next day the chicks were gone and the nest was abandoned.
The Highs
Twelve successful outcomes so far, eleven of which were House Sparrow nests with an average of 4 per nest that would be 24 more to add to the population. Sadly have found two young birds in the garden that didn't make it!
 |
| House Sparrow: Second brood in North 2 Box of the multi box |
A Great Tit has sneaked into the box by the study window. I had given it up for this year as it is usually used by Blue Tits and it was only by accident when I was checking the box with the endoscope camera that I cam across an adult on the nest. Currently 2 chicks and 3 eggs.
 |
| Adult Great Tit on nest. Photo taken using endoscope. |
 | |
| Great Tit: recently hatched |
No comments:
Post a Comment