I had just one flying visit from a group of long tailed tits a couple of years ago. Never seen them here before or since and I have feeders up all year. No other gardens or feeders nearby but we are surrounded by arable and pastureland and have woods nearby so maybe they don't need my feeders.
We have local buzzards who use the thermals over the field behind to teach their youngsters about flying. Lots of mewing and whirling.
Very quiet in the garden this morning but the riding school over the way has put its ponies and most of the horses in the paddocks opposite so they can air the boxes and they're great fun to watch as they skit about.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Beautiful day here, helped by picking three boxes full of Holstein apples this morning, most of which were perfect, and will store . Harvestmen out in force.
Jay on the way in to the garden and buzzard overhead this morning, and then a north American tree rat in town this afternoon (on the way to Foodbank) eating from a discarded take-away tray on the pavement.
I was tidying up a bit in the garden this morning. The Robin (who I haven't seen for a while) was in the tree chattering away at me - telling me to go away so he could get to the bird table. I put some food out and went back inside after a while, but the little monkey has gone elsewhere. Now I'm watching the food to make sure the feral pigeons don't take it all!
I can see at least a dozen goldfinches on my feeders, they're young ones, not all have quite got the hang of the feeders, but seem to be watching the older ones. I reckon the parents must have raised at least 3 lots of babies
Oh, Anne, I'm jealous! I have seen a few round here occasionally but haven't managed to get them to come to my feeders (yet).
Oh they must have heard me complaining because I've just seen about 15 of them spending a leisurely 20 minutes bathing and drinking at the little pond waterfall and feeding from my niger seed feeder Horray!
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I had just one flying visit from a group of long tailed tits a couple of years ago. Never seen them here before or since and I have feeders up all year. No other gardens or feeders nearby but we are surrounded by arable and pastureland and have woods nearby so maybe they don't need my feeders.
We have local buzzards who use the thermals over the field behind to teach their youngsters about flying. Lots of mewing and whirling.
Very quiet in the garden this morning but the riding school over the way has put its ponies and most of the horses in the paddocks opposite so they can air the boxes and they're great fun to watch as they skit about.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
We had a grey wagtail on the lawn yesterday. First time we've seen one. Nuthatches are back and on the feeders.
I had a marsh tit on the feeders to-day. I'd never seen one before and had to check my book.
Beautiful day here, helped by picking three boxes full of Holstein apples this morning, most of which were perfect, and will store
. Harvestmen out in force.
Jay on the way in to the garden and buzzard overhead this morning, and then a north American tree rat in town this afternoon (on the way to Foodbank) eating from a discarded take-away tray on the pavement.
the tree rat was on the way to the foodbank? lazy sod. Why he go eat some acorns and stuff like the rest of them?
ho ho. Still pleased with those apples though. And loads more to come!
Hummingbird Hawk-moth.
I was tidying up a bit in the garden this morning. The Robin (who I haven't seen for a while) was in the tree chattering away at me - telling me to go away so he could get to the bird table. I put some food out and went back inside after a while, but the little monkey has gone elsewhere. Now I'm watching the food to make sure the feral pigeons don't take it all!
Oh they must have heard me complaining because I've just seen about 15 of them spending a leisurely 20 minutes bathing and drinking at the little pond waterfall and feeding from my niger seed feeder
Horray!
Just seen a single airborne Small Tortoiseshell wing. Not attached to a butterfly body. Attached to a wasp's jaws. Going back for the nest.
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.