As well as plenty of young House Sparrows being fed we had the first juv Starlings today, 2 big family parties, which looked like 9-10 yound dropped in making a helluva racket and decimated the feeding trays. Up to 15 Starlings were in our tiny back garden at once with other on adjacent roofs, they really are doing pretty well here, happily!
A new bee was added in the form of Early Bumblebee (pic), collecting pollen on our patio in pots of unknown purple flowers (anyone know?)!!
Having now been ill for nearly 7 weeks I finally went for the blood test the Dr ordered, really to confirm that all along it's been Glandular Fever. I've been stuck inside for the last 3 weeks not even out to exercise. But on the way back, with the car window down going slowly round a roundabout on our village bypass, as we were passing a dense stand of mture hawthorn hedges I heard a Lesser Whitethroat singing. This is a new bird for the year and ticked as a result of my illness & blood test
Once home, a few new insects for the garden lockdown list, 14-spot Ladybird, the hoverfly Leucozona lucorum, a Nomad Bee species and a Megachile Leafcutter Bee species (the latter 2 need disection or the like to absolutely confirm ID to species level).
-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 5th of May 2020 03:47:16 PM
Added a few more species since being cooped up whils having suspected Glandular Fever (not tonsilitis as first diagnosed!).
Herring Gull over as well as a House Martin, first hirundine back at home! The Coal Tits and Blue Tits are both pair-bond feeding about a foot from our lounge window in the elder
New Lockdown bird species today when a Grey Heron flew over the house. Then a nice sighting, a male House Sparrow using our fat balls to feed 2 young House Sparrows in our elder bush.
Again a butterfly day in the garden. As the sun warmed up we had Speckled Wood (my first anywhere this year), a pristine Comma and Green-veined White as new species. Of the usual species we had Orange-tip, Small White and Holly Blue again.
Not birds, but lots of butterflies in our small back garden over the last 2 days. Today was a fly through Holly Blue. Yesterday was Large White. Over both days we've had Small White, but the biggest numbers have been Orange-tips. we've had both male and female and mating and egg laying on the garlic mustard. Our neighbours think our garden is full of weeds but it's a wildlife garden and it works
I've come down with tonsillitis! Brilliant, so staying home not a problem!!
Today in the back garden, which is tiny but a real suntrap and managed for wildlife, we had Large and Small White butterflies and a gorgeous male Orange-tip. I managed to get my best ever pics of the latter species with my phone
A beautiful female Sparrowhawk was in the garden today. She devoured a Starling whilst tucked away by our shed, totally undisturbed apart from a Great Tit going ballistic in the elder above her. She stayed ages until she had nearly finished her meal and then flew off with the tiny titbit that was left.
At the moment we also have 2 Coal Tits and a Blue Tit that all perch on our lounge windowsill staring in at us, and a House Sparrow that hover outside staring in. Obviously these humans all trapped indoors are fascinating our feathered friends!!
Had a brand new species for the garden in Moulton, Northwich, Cheshire, today. From 1-30pm-1.39pm in our back garden was a gorgeous Willow Warbler, absolutely radiant in the sunshine. We have had Chiffchaff & Blackcap in the past so nice to add a new warbler species
-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Monday 6th of April 2020 01:53:12 PM