Bird, wildlife and flower log, 4-10 November 2013

A few of the photos I've taken since May when I started the blog. I created the frame in Craft Artist and it's my first attempt at something like this and I am quite pleased with the result.

The Brambles Collage © 2013 Natasha Forder

Back to the garden... Today I saw five goldfinches which is quite a lot for The Brambles. They were on all the seed feeders and hung around for ages. Today has also been busy for the nuthatch's, two have been around for most of the day. It's still quiet for blackbirds and squirrels. Otherwise nothing new to add.

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Great spotted woodpecker - female	Grey squirrels	Rose
Chaffinch, male, female	Slug	Coreopsis grandiflora rising
Greenfinch - male, female		Coreopsis sunray
Blue tit - adult		Gaillardia sunburst yellow
Great tit - adult		Gaura cherry brandy
Coal tit
Dunnock - adult
Robin - adult
Magpie - adult
Crow - adult
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Collared dove - adult
Nuthatch
Blackbird - juvenile
Goldfinch

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 28 October - 3 November 2013

Master Black has been enjoying the bathing facilities this week. He does seem to like to stand in the cold water first for a time, maybe he's getting used to it, before having a proper bath!

Another photo from earlier in the year. I've not had much chance the last few weeks to get out with my camera.

Honeysuckle © 2013 Natasha Forder

Nutty the Nuthatch was around lots this weekend. Sunflower seeds seem to be the current favourite over the peanuts. On and off the feeder and then to the bush to eat them. A lonely Goldfinch has been in too. They often hang around in pairs, but I didn't see another one. So I wonder if something has happened to it, or maybe this one is on its own. There are at least two female great spotted woodpeckers around at the moment who both like to eat the fat block and they don't hang around together! I don't know if any are the young ones from this year.

Squirrels - another week of hardly seeing one. I guess they are out collecting acorns, although they do usually like to bury these in the lawn as well as peanuts!

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Great spotted woodpecker - female	Grey squirrels	Rose
Chaffinch, male, female	Slug	Coreopsis grandiflora rising
Greenfinch - male, female		Coreopsis sunray
Blue tit - adult		Gaillardia sunburst yellow
Great tit - adult		Sedum
Dunnock - adult		Begonia
Robin - adult		Aster
Magpie - adult		Gaura cherry brandy
Crow - adult
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Collared dove - adult
Nuthatch
Blackbird - juvenile
Goldfinch

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 21-27 October 2013

Yesterday I spotted Master Black having a big splash around in one of the drinkers. He was certainly making sure he was all spruced up. And that has been my only sighting of a blackbird this week.

Not many squirrels have shown their faces, a couple this week. A nuthatch popped in, otherwise it has been the usual's listed. The lawns are still covered in lots of different types of fungus, and that really is all there is to say!

As I've not been out with my camera this week, I've picked a photo I took back in the spring instead. The flowers have long gone and the berries turned black and have now gone over. I think this shrub certainly looks its best in the spring.

Mystical Black St. Johns Wort © 2013 Natasha Forder

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Great spotted woodpecker - female	Grey squirrels	Rose
Chaffinch, male, female	Slug	Coreopsis grandiflora rising
Greenfinch - male, female		Coreopsis sunray
Blue tit - adult		Gaillardia sunburst yellow
Great tit - adult		Sedum
Dunnock - adult		Begonia
Robin - adult		Aster
Magpie - adult		Gaura cherry brandy
Crow - adult
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Collared dove - adult
Nuthatch
Blackbird - juvenile

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 14-20 October 2013

It is a short list for what has been around. No sightings of blackbirds, and earlier Sunday the first sighting of a couple of squirrels. The only thing that there has been lots of is fungus, from little delicate "fairy" types to bigger with frilly edges and more "meaty" looking varieties!

As the flowers fade and the rain now seems to be replacing the sun, I've included a photo that I took in the spring of these beautiful sea pinks in order to remember the better weather!

Sea Pink © 2013 Natasha Forder

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Great spotted woodpecker - female	Grey squirrels	Rose
Chaffinch, male, female		Coreopsis grandiflora rising
Greenfinch - male, female		Coreopsis sunray
Blue tit - adult		Gaillardia sunburst yellow
Great tit - adult		Sedum
Dunnock - adult		Begonia
Robin - adult		Aster
Magpie - adult
Crow - adult
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Collared dove - adult

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 7-13 October 2013

A rose which Steve cut back a couple of months ago is doing really well. It had needed a real cut back for a while and now it is out in flower again and has lots of new buds on it! I was going to take a photo today but the weather isn't that great for photographs, I wonder if it will stop raining at all today...

So a scrapbook layout today instead of a photo. This kit was created by Gill, Seaside Crafter, for a Daisytrail challenge and is fantastic, it is called Wild Autumn. The photo is one I took a few weeks ago.

Wild Autumn at The Brambles © 2013 Natasha Forder

Mr Black has been round with his youngster, but I've only seem them a couple of times this week. Again lots of chaffinches and greenfinches. Although I've not noted a youngster crow, I think there has been one. We now seem to regularly have family crow visit. I think there are two adults and one youngster. The thing that strikes me about them is how large they are! They are also quite skitty and fly off at any movement. Luckily I haven't seen them eating any other little birds. A few years ago my parents saw two crows pulling apart a robin. This is something I hope I won't witness in the garden.

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird - male, juvenile	Grey squirrels	Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
Great spotted woodpecker - female	Snail	Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Chaffinch, male, female	Slug	Coreopsis grandiflora rising
Greenfinch - male, female	Peacock butterfly	Coreopsis sunray
Blue tit - adult		Gaillardia sunburst yellow
Great tit - adult		Sedum
Dunnock - adult		Begonia
Robin - adult		Sunflower
Jay - adult		Aster
Magpie - adult		Rose
Crow - adult
Nuthatch - adult
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Collared dove - adult
Coal tit - adult

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 30 September - 6 October 2013

Spotted two blackbirds this week, just the once. One I think is master black, his feathers are now all black, but he still has his dull beak. The other I think is the Real Mr Black, with some new feathers! All the blackbirds are keeping a low profile at the moment, but they are still around.

It's been a lovely sunny and warm day today. I have been out chopping back the herbs, lavender and a few other things before grabbing my camera to make the most of the sun before it disappeared to get a few shots. I was lucky to find a couple of bees buzzing around in the sedum. They were the same type and I think it is a common carder bee.

Common Carder Bee on Sedum © 2013 Natasha Forder

There have been two nuthatches in the garden this week. One is the usual and the other is quite large. Like last week there has been lots of chaffinches and greenfinches. Otherwise not really much else to report, except I am pleased with my photo!!!

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird - male, juvenile	Grey squirrels	Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
Great spotted woodpecker - female	Snail	Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Chaffinch, male, female	Slug	Coreopsis grandiflora rising
Greenfinch - male, female	Crane fly	Coreopsis sunray
Blue tit - adult	Common carder bee	Gaillardia sunburst yellow
Great tit - adult	Lily beetle	Sedum
Dunnock - adult		Begonia
Robin - adult		Sunflower
Jay - adult		Aster
Magpie - adult		Rose
Crow - adult
Nuthatch - adult
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Collared dove - adult
Coal tit - adult

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 23-29 September 2013

Hello! Another week has gone by and summer is starting to turn to autumn. The leaves have started to change and it won't be long before I will be sweeping them all up.

I got this photo a little earlier today, usually the woodpigeon's fly off as soon as they hear the back door opening, unless they are young ones. So I don't know what was up with this one but it stayed put the whole time I was outside taking a few garden snaps! It looks quite grumpy as well as scruffy!!!

Scruffy Woodpigeon © 2013 Natasha Forder

This morning early there was a male chaffinch altercation on the lawn. They were "fighting" chest to chest, wings flapping. Finally one backed off and peace returned. Generally there have been a lot of chaffinch's around at the moment and quite a few greenfinches.

Blackbird viewings are now very scarce, just a glimpse of Master Black earlier in the week. The great spotted woodpeckers have grown up and their red caps have grown out. This week I have only seen females. Generally except the finches it has seemed a quiet week in the garden.

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird - juvenile	Grey squirrels	Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
Great spotted woodpecker - female	Snail	Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Chaffinch, male, female	Slug	Coreopsis grandiflora rising
Greenfinch - male, female	Crane fly	Coreopsis sunray
Blue tit - adult		Gaillardia sunburst yellow
Great tit - adult		Sedum
Dunnock - adult		Begonia
Robin - adult		Sunflower
Jay - adult		Aster
Magpie - adult
Crow - adult
Nuthatch - adult
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Collared dove - adult
Coal tit - adult

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 16-22 September 2013

This week we've been away for a few days visiting Steve's parents in Birmingham, so I thought there would not be so much to say about what has been going on at The Brambles but it turns out I have plenty.

No new photos this week, instead here is a photo of Mr Chaffinch that I took a while back.

Mr Chaffinch © 2013 Natasha Forder

Monday whilst out feeding the birds Master Black appeared and even though I got close to where I had put the worms down for him and the song bird food, to restock the seed hangers he didn't move. Watched me for a bit and then carried on eating. Usually when I appear again he dashes under the mahonia but today he stayed there while I got close. He must have been about a metre away. I suspect if I had tried to take a photo he would have been gone before I'd had time to raise my camera!

Master Black was also around when I arrived home Sunday. I went straight outside to restock the bird food and there he was having a bath in one of the drinkers! I didn't realise until I was really close. He looked at me and then carried on!

Wednesday before we left Mrs Sparrowhawk appeared, this is the second time I've seen a female in the garden, it is usually a male. The blackbirds and chaffinches were around. I saw one of the Mr Blacks head for the cover of the mahonia and then out of nowhere was the sparrowhawk. I am not sure if it got anything, I couldn't see, but somehow I think it did.

There were two male blackbirds around that morning and both were not looking so good. They both look like they are going bald. With the Real Mr Black looking worse.

I also had to rescue another little frog from one of the drinkers again this week, so I've removed that one for the moment as it appears they can't seem to get out of it once in.

The little owl was also noisy at the beginning of the week. It's been ages since I've heard the tawny so I wonder what has happened to it. Bird calls are not my strong point and I have to listen to lots examples before I can make a decision on what I am hearing, blackbirds being an exception!

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels	Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Coreopsis grandiflora rising
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile	Frog (little)	Coreopsis sunray
Blue tit - adult, juvenile		Gaillardia sunburst yellow
Great tit - adult, juvenile		Sedum
Dunnock - adult		Begonia
Robin - adult, juvenile		Sunflower
Jay - adult
Magpie - adult
Crow - adult
Nuthatch - adult
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Collared dove - adult
Coal tit
Sparrowhawk - female
Little owl - sound of

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 9-15 September 2013

This week I have had to extract a snail from the snack shack, but I am sure it had already been cleaned out by the time it would have got there! Maybe it was just taking shelter!!!

Squirrel knackered leg has been around quite a bit this week but it's been very quiet for the other squirrels. It's also been very quiet for blackbirds, just sightings of them darting out from underneath the mahonia.

This picture of squirrel "knackered leg" I took back in June, as I've not managed to capture anything this week I thought I'd catch up on a previous photo. It's broken back leg is easy to see.

Squirrel © 2013 Natasha Forder

This weekend has been very, very busy for the little birds. Especially greenfinches and chaffinches. I only fill the seed and nut feeders to about a third everyday, as they would eat their way through everything if they were full. And over the weekend they have been finishing what is out by about 11 am. That means lots of hungry birds, eating lots of food. There are still lots of young ones around too. Fat balls and fat blocks are also disappearing fast!

And I nearly forgot I saw a little frog this week too. I haven't seen any frogs for a while. I rescued it from one of the bird drinking trays that it was trapped in.

The wind has been getting up all evening and it started raining this afternoon, so not the nicest of days.

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels	Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Coreopsis grandiflora rising
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile	Frog (little)	Coreopsis sunray
Blue tit - adult, juvenile		Gaillardia sunburst yellow
Great tit - adult, juvenile		Sedum
Dunnock - adult
Robin - adult, juvenile
Jay - adult
Magpie - adult
Crow - adult
Nuthatch - adult
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Collared dove - adult
Coal tit

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 2-8 September 2013

The tattered wings butterfly photo that I took recently inspired me to write a poem. I then got creative in Craft Artist with the photo, poem and a background paper that I had created a while ago from another photo, and this is the finished result. The poem can be found written separately on a post at The forget-me-not blog.

Tattered Wings photo and poem © 2013 Natasha Forder

More information on how I created the layout can be found at forget-me-not craft.

So good news, the Real Mr Black is back. Or lets put it this way I am sure it is him. He has lost some of his silver patch on his front, but I assume he is molting. He now has a small bald patch on the back of his neck too.

The young green had some trouble earlier in the week getting onto one of the seed feeders. It had been in the snack shack, the easiest place to obtain a sunflower seed but it was empty. After several attempts at the seed feeder it gave up. At which point I did a small restock of the shack. I was pleased to see it later in the week able to get on the seed feeder.

There is a story behind the snack shack. It started out life as the squirrel snack shack. Originally situated on the other side of the garden to keep the squirrels away from the bird food. However, the squirrels were unable to work out how to get to the food inside. So the squirrels failed to be able to use the special squirrel feeder and I had even bought the stuff labeled as squirrel food to put inside it!!! They would sit and look through the perspex on the front at the food and then they started chewing the lid. I took pity on them and started propping the lid open with a pine cone. But they'd knock that out and then start to chew the lid again. In the end we took the perspex front off, moved it to the bird food area and put sunflower seeds in it.

I had always been led to believe that squirrels were intelligent - at least where food is involved, but the ones in my garden really didn't make the grade!

The birds love it, they hop on and and off with a seed. Actually that is generally what the tits do. The finches's are "hoggers". They get on the shack and then stay and eat for ages, fending off anything else that wants to get on. Sometimes a great tit will start acting like a hogger, I guess after observing how the finches behave but luckily they don't do that too often! Sometimes a greenfinch pair will get on it together and that is quite sweet.

The down side is that the squirrels also now love the snack shack and of course it is very easy for them to help themselves too! When any kind of hogger is on the shack the little birds sit in the forsythia and start hopping up and down, agitated that they can't get to the food, sometimes it is quite comical and it's not like there aren't other available feeders!

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels	African daisy
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Lavender
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Large Daisy
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile	Backswimmer	Dahlia
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Begonia
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Lily beetle	Cats Ear
Dunnock - adult	Large white butterfly	Oregano
Robin - adult, juvenile		Marjoram
Jay - adult		Thyme
Magpie - adult		Montbretia
Crow - adult		Fuscia
Nuthatch - adult		Gaura cherry brandy
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile		Gaura lindheimeri belleza
Collared dove - adult		Penstemon pensham czar
Coal tit		Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
		Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
		Coreopsis grandiflora rising
		Coreopsis sunray
		Gaillardia sunburst yellow

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 26 August - 1 September 2013

There have been lots of little birds in the garden this week and the coal tits have made a return. They don't usually visit the garden much during the summer, but I expect to start seeing more of them from now on.

There are still quite a few large white and small white butterflies around. This photo I took a few weeks ago, and I finally got around to processing it. The butterfly is sat on sage. A couple more butterfly photos can be seen on the Insects page, one I took this weekend.

Large White Butterfly © 2013 Natasha Forder

Earlier in the week there was a lot of flapping going on in the pieris where some of the bird feeders are hung. It was a young greenfinch and next thing I saw it was being fed, I would think it was quite late in the year for that?

It is very quiet now for blackbirds. I fear that the Real Mr Black has been done away with. I can't decide if it is by Impostor Black, who has been around a little, or by the wing of his own youngster. I tend to only see one of the young ones now and this one I suspect is a male blackbird, looking at the colouring that is slowly emerging. I got quite fond of the Real Mr B, so I do hope the story above isn't true and that he is just lying low! The youngster has quite an attitude and I often see it chasing Impostor B around the garden!

The lilies stopped flowering but I've left the stems and this week I noticed lots of lily beetles on one of the plants. Before I got close enough I thought that finally we had some ladybirds, at this point I could just see red on the plant. When I got close I realised they were little beetles, but I had to look them up to see what type they were. Very apt name for them!

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels	African daisy
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Lavender
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Large Daisy
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile	Backswimmer	Dahlia
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Begonia
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Large white butterfly	Cats Ear
Dunnock - adult	Small white butterfly	Oregano
Robin - adult, juvenile	Lily beetle	Marjoram
Jay - adult, juvenile		Thyme
Magpie - adult		Montbretia
Crow - adult		Fuscia
Nuthatch - adult		Gaura cherry brandy
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile		Gaura lindheimeri belleza
Collared dove - adult		Penstemon pensham czar
Coal tit		Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
Goldfinch		Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
		Coreopsis grandiflora rising
		Coreopsis sunray
		Gaillardia sunburst yellow

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 19-25 August 2013

Although it is quieter for squirrels at the moment there are still a few visits. Either to dig up the garden or take on the challenge of a bird feeder! This one is situated on a wire across part of the garden and up until now I didn't think it had been squirreled! But ah, I was wrong!!! I caught squirrel knackered leg on it this week. In this photo you can see the broken back left leg. It is amazing how they move along the wire, commando style!

Squirrel © 2013 Natasha Forder

Monday morning I found Leo the cat in the garden, twice, and I escorted him home twice too.  Only to find out he didn't stay home long. All the birds in the trees at the front were giving warning calls. He's lovely but a nightmare around birds and squirrels. He's also molting at the moment and looks half the size and I am sure I ended up with half of his fur on my trousers!

Tuesday morning whilst out feeding the birds I found myself really close to one of the young blackbirds.  I'd already put down their food and was filling up a seed feeder when I saw it a couple of feet away!  I stayed very still and watched it as it ate and then came even closer for a drink :)

The young woodpeckers are still distinguishable but only just about as their red heads are slowly disappearing. They are still visiting lots and still eating lots of fat block.

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels	African daisy
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Rose
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Lavender
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile	Backswimmer	Large Daisy
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Dahlia
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Large white butterfly	Hostas
Dunnock - adult, juvenile	Small white butterfly	Birdsfoot trefoil
Robin - adult, juvenile		Hemerocallis
Jay - adult, juvenile		Cats Ear
Magpie - adult		Oregano
Crow - adult		Marjoram
Nuthatch - adult		Thyme
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile		Montbretia
Collared dove - adult		Ragwort
Goldfinch		Gaura cherry brandy
		Gaura lindheimeri belleza
		Penstemon pensham czar
		Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
		Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
		Coreopsis grandiflora rising
		Coreopsis sunray
		Gaillardia sunburst yellow

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 12-18 August 2013

It is still quiet for squirrels at the moment.  This week there has again just been the two.  Both look very skinny as well, even though they are tucking into the peanuts and seeds.  Oh, and also my tulip bulbs!!!  With any luck maybe they will just have been re-burying them elsewhere in the garden!

This year one of the dahlias I planted two years ago has actually flowered, and it also looks like the begonias I planted might too.  Last year none of them flowered, so it's fingers crossed for this year.

At the weekend we took a trip to Birmingham to see Steve's parents.  There were the usual sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, robins, blue tits and great tits.  They still have sparrows that are being fed by the parents :)  I also spotted a couple of peacock butterflies along with some small and large whites.

Yellow Rose © 2013 Natasha Forder

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels	African daisy
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Rose
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Lavender
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile	Backswimmer	Large Daisy
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Lily
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Large white butterfly	Hostas
Dunnock - adult, juvenile	Small white butterfly	Birdsfoot trefoil
Robin - adult, juvenile		Hemerocallis
Jay - adult, juvenile		Cats Ear
Magpie - adult		Oregano
Crow - adult		Marjoram
Nuthatch - adult		Thyme
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile		Montbretia
		Ragwort
		Gaura cherry brandy
		Gaura lindheimeri belleza
		Penstemon pensham czar
		Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
		Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
		Coreopsis grandiflora rising
		Coreopsis sunray
		Gaillardia sunburst yellow
		Dahlia

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 5-11 August 2013

This week the resident little owl has been very vocal.  It is usually noisy at night, but early this morning it was also calling.  I dragged myself out of bed but didn't manage to see it.  At night I am sure it is sitting on the roof when it starts "to sing"!

It's been another good week for butterflies with my first ever sighting of a comma butterfly.  The bees have also been busy.  Still making the most of the lavender and flowering herbs.  And I am still trying to get that perfect shot!

Buff-tailed Bumblebee © 2013 Natasha Forder

There is still lots of blackbird activity and fighting between families.  Even the young are fighting each other.

It's been quiet for the squirrels this week.  It seems to be just the very skinny one that has been visiting.  Last week was similar, only this one and the squirrel we fondly call squirrel knackered leg.  More about him in a future post.  Also this week I haven't seen any collared doves either.  The goldfinches are fickle and come and go, so I'm not so surprised they haven't been around.  Even without some of the usual's it's been a busy week, they are non-stop eating and all the food is gone at the end of the day.  Usually the feeders last a bit longer than this!

I've found some garden bugs inside this week, not long after being out feeding the birds so I assume they have come in on my clothes.  I can't make my mind up if one was a grasshopper or a cricket.  I also saw a bright green and black dragonfly, which I've tried to identify but doesn't look like any of the pictures I've seen.

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels	African daisy
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Geranium
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Rose
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile	Backswimmer	Lavender
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Large Daisy
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Large white butterfly	Lily
Dunnock - adult, juvenile	Small white butterfly	Hostas
Robin - adult, juvenile	Brimstone butterfly	Honeysuckle
Jay - adult, juvenile	Grasshopper or cricket, in the house!	Birdsfoot trefoil
Magpie - adult	Dragonfly (bright green and black)	Hemerocallis
Crow - adult	Centipede, in the house!	Cats Ear
Nuthatch - adult	Comma butterfly	Oregano
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile		Marjoram
Little owl, the sound of		Thyme
		Montbretia
		Ragwort
		Gaura cherry brandy
		Gaura lindheimeri belleza
		Penstemon pensham czar
		Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
		Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
		Coreopsis grandiflora rising
		Coreopsis sunray
		Gaillardia sunburst yellow

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 29 July - 4 August 2013

This week I planted all the flowering plants I'd bought last weekend and hopefully they will continue to flower through the summer, which will be good for the bees and insects.

I love it when the lavender flowers appear and of course I love the smell too!  I have several types and I can't remember which one this is, maybe Munstead or Hidcote.  I didn't label and I know that I always regret it when I don't!

Lavender © 2013 Natasha Forder

It's still busy with blackbirds, with several young all around the food tray or under the mahonia bush at the same time.

This year I seem to have missed the young woodpeckers being fed in the garden by their parents, but I've seen lots of activity from the young ones on the fat blocks.  This week I also saw a woodpecker at one of the ground level drinkers, which is unusual.  I only ever see this when it is really hot, or really cold.  So I guess the usual drinking source was not available.

There are at least three young robins around.  They are all at different stages.  One still looks very "baby", another the chest feathers are changing to red and one in between.  And they certainly have the robin attitude!

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels	African daisy
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Geranium
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Rose
Greenfinch - male, female	Backswimmer	Lavender
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Daisy
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Large white butterfly	Lily
Dunnock - adult	Peacock butterfly	Hostas
Robin - adult, juvenile	Brimstone butterfly	Honeysuckle
Jay - adult, juvenile		Birdsfoot trefoil
Magpie - adult		Hemerocallis
Crow - adult		Cats Ear
Collared dove - adult		Oregano
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile		Marjoram
Nuthatch - adult		Thyme
Goldfinch		Montbretia
		Ragwort
		Gaura cherry brandy
		Gaura lindheimeri belleza
		Penstemon pensham czar
		Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon
		Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
		Coreopsis grandiflora rising
		Coreopsis sunray
		Gaillardia sunburst yellow

Mr Blackbird Update

Mr Blackbird returned on Monday to the garden and I've seen him again today.  I guess he was just having the day off on Sunday!
Anyway, I'm very pleased to see him back and he has, as usual, been very busy feeding his two youngsters.

Mr Blackbird © 2013 Steve Ward

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 22-28 July 2013

Firstly an update on the missing food tray.  I found it!  Somehow it was moved about about 12 meters away (direct route, through a large flower bed and up a stepped part of the garden) to under the acer tree.  Or further if whatever it was went via the path around the flower bed, but still had to get it up the stepped part.  So who knows!  The good thing is it has returned.

However, today has been a very quiet day for blackbirds, who usually eat from the tray (replaced with a spare one!).  They have hardly been around and I've not seen our usual Mr Blackbird.  I hope he is okay as he is still feeding his little ones.  I get used to him being around when I am outside, he comes in as soon as I put food down for him in the morning, and a top up in the evening.  He is there when I'm out gardening, and most of the time when I look out of the window.  I've really missed him.

Honey bee and majoram gold tipped © 2013 Natasha Forder

Today a quick trip to the garden centre to buy some flowering plants, I don't have that many now out in flower and I'd like to attract more bees and butterflies.  They'll be planted in the week when I've decided where to put them!  I prepared the patch this afternoon, so all ready to go.

This week has been good for butterflies.  As you can see from the list below I've seen more than just the large white one!  And a few of each as well, which is good news as usually I only see a couple each week.

Also this week I've finally seen what I've identified to be white-tailed bumblebees.  There have been a few different bees around the last couple of days and as well as the white-tailed I've identified a male red-tailed.  Previously I've only seen the workers.  They are making the most of the lavender and flowers on the herbs.

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels	African daisy
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Geranium
Chaffinch - male, female, juvenile	Slug	Rose
Greenfinch - male, female	Backswimmer	Lavender
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Daisy
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Large white butterfly	Lily
Dunnock - adult, juvenile	Red admiral butterfly	Hostas
Robin - adult, juvenile	Common blue	Honeysuckle
Jay - adult	Yellow butterfly - brimstone I think	Birdsfoot trefoil
Magpie - adult	Tortoiseshell butterfly	Hemerocallis
Crow - adult		Cats Ear
Collared dove - adult		Oregano
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile		Marjoram
Nuthatch - adult		Thyme
Goldfinch		Montbretia
		Ragwort

The tale of the missing...

Sometimes strange things happen in the garden...

First there was the missing fat ball hanger, next a couple of  peanut feeders.
Quite a big rock from around the pond, one morning, was in the pond!
One of the three rubber ducks in the pond, one we inherited and the other two a present from my mum, several times I have found on the lawn and then one day in the garage guttering!

And this morning I looked out and the metal ground food tray for the birds was not in sight.  And I can't believe for one minute that Mr Blackbird has run off with it, not even with the help of his two youngsters and the Mrs!
It does sometimes move around the garden in the day (but I've not managed to witness that), but never very far.

As is usual on these events I have a walk around the garden, look under the bushes and by the hole in the fence to next doors where the badgers come in when they visit.  As usual, nowhere to be found!!!  I even dredged the pond!

I did find the fat ball hanger, without the fat balls of course, under a bush.

For months I thought that the peanut feeders were being knocked off by the squirrels and then in the night stolen by badgers.  At that point they were only mythical badgers that we had been told, had from time to time been seen in the garden.  We had not seen any!  Anyway they got the blame until one day in broad daylight I saw a squirrel pick one up in its mouth by the hanging wire bit and run off with it down the garden.  That was number three!  I was in such shock that I just stood there, I didn't react and run after it!  And no surprises, I didn't find it!!!  I had no idea a squirrel could handle one of them.  But the funniest thing was that it was empty!

The squirrels can be a bit of a nightmare at times, once we had one, which after chewing the lid off a nut hanger, got itself a bit wedged part way inside it.  Luckily it did manage to get itself out!

I don't have any photos of the rubber ducks in the pond or any animals being caught in the act instead here is what the cheeky squirrels in the garden get up to!

Sid Squirrel to the Rescue - part 1

Sid Squirrel to the Rescue - part 2

In December new neighbours moved in and during conversation they mentioned they had found some...
Yes you've guessed it; some bird feeders!  So after several months they were actually recovered.

I am going through all the options in my mind as to who is the thief!
Along with badgers we do get visits from foxes and a few of the local cats, but luckily not too often.

I only "know"one of them, he's a big ginger cat, lots of fur, from two doors down.  Lovely and friendly, loves being stroked, called Leo.  He's is a bit of a squirrel chaser, but that's another story.  He likes to sit on the garage roof sometimes in the sun and I've been wondering if he has been the one playing with the rubber ducks!  However, I don't have him down as today's thief!

Who knows, maybe the tray will turn up, one day...

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 15-21 July 2013

I've spent most of this week in Cornwall, a great few days away and on Saturday my friend Helen's wedding in Padstow, Helen looked beautiful in her dress and the service, reception and people Steve and I met were lovely.

The usual birds were around the beginning of the week and Mr Blackbird was really pleased to see us home this evening and was in his food tray as soon as I'd taken a few steps away.  Luckily all the birds had a top up of food and water with a visit from my parents so they did have enough to keep them going!

I took this photograph of the nuthatch a couple of weeks ago, I was pleased with how it turned out as I wasn't that close, it was dark in the tree (even though it was a sunny day), and I had to crop it quite a lot.

'Nutty' Nuthatch © 2013 Natasha Forder

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels, lots of!	African daisy
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	Geranium
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Campanula
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile	Pond skater	Creeping buttercup
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Daisy
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Backswimmer	Rose
Dunnock - adult	Large white butterfly	Water lily
Robin - adult, juvenile		Honeysuckle
Jay - adult		Lavender
Magpie - adult		Rose Campion
Crow - adult		Lily
Collared dove - adult		Hostas
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Nuthatch - adult
Goldfinch

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 8-14 July 2013

I was really pleased with this photo I took last weekend of the damselfly.  Luckily it stopped long enough for me to take a few photos, and this one in focus!

This weekend there has also been around a black and white damselfly which I think is a female common blue.  I took a few photos but none turned out as well as the one below.  And then as the light was fading yesterday evening I saw an emerald damselfly as well.

Large red damselfly © 2013 Natasha Forder

Some of the flowers are going over and the lupins are now all gone.  The campanula in the shade is still flowering as this starts later than that situated in the sun.  As the flowers fade there have been less bees in the garden.  The back lawn is being left longer at the moment because it is full of clover which the bees that have been around like.  I need to increase the number of summer flowering plants.  As this time of year the garden doesn't have so many.

I've seen the young great spotted woodpecker a few times this week and I've certainly heard them!  The woodpeckers have been very noisy over the weekend, but I can't see what is upsetting them.  They currently like to sit in the acer tree towards the back of the garden.  Like many of the other birds the adults feed the young the fat block we put out.  These hardly get touched in the winter in comparison but just now are very, very popular.

The goldfinches have been in this week, munching on the niger seeds.  Then something broke the feeder!  And I can't imagine it was a goldfinch.  I guess I am thinking squirrel, but to be fair they don't usually go anywhere near that one.  So maybe a jay tried to jump on or something...

Unfortunately yesterday a female chaffinch flew into the patio doors and didn't make it.  I didn't think there was too much hope as it didn't make any attempt to get up.  In the past when they've hit they have got up onto their feet even if they then don't move.  When it happens we always stay around to keep away any would be predators.  It was very sad.  I really hope it didn't have any little ones still needing to be fed.

On Saturday Steve and I went to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Willis Museum in Basingstoke.  Like last year, well worth the visit and free entry too.  Very inspirational.  Something to work towards with my garden wildlife photos!

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels, lots of!	Lupin
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Snail	African daisy
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Geranium
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile	Pond skater	Campanula
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Hoverfly	Pontentilla
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Creeping buttercup
Dunnock - adult	Buff-tailed bumblebee	Daisy
Robin - adult, juvenile	Backswimmer	Rose
Jay - adult	Small white butterfly	Water lily
Magpie - adult	Large white butterfly	Clover
Crow - adult	Large red damselfly	Senecio
Collared dove - adult	Common blue damselfly - female	Mystical Black St. Johns Wort
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile	Emerald damselfly - female	Honeysuckle
Nuthatch - adult	Unidentified moth	Lavender
Goldfinch		Spirea
Thrush		Rose Campion
		Lily
		Foxglove
		Oxalis

Blackbirds

Young Blackbird © 2013 Steve Ward

There are currently two male  blackbirds that visit the garden.  In order to identify them they are called the "Real Mr Black" and "Impostor Black"!

The Real one, is the one whose area it is, he is quite distinguished looking with a silver patch on his front!  And he has been around for a while.  The other is chubbier and fully black in colour, and is a newer visitor to the garden.

They both have families to feed and I've seen both in the garden feeding their young ones.

The Real Mr Black has had a second brood and this morning I saw him feeding one of these.  Of course as soon as you get your camera out they disappear!  I have discovered that all birds and wildlife are camera shy!!!

He is having a bit of a tough time of it at the moment, feeding his young, chasing Impostor Black away and suffering in the hot weather we are having at the moment.  Lots of beak open and stretching of wings, trying to cool off.  His young one seems to be camped out under the mahonia bush near where I put the mealworms.  So dad has been running out, grabbing a beak load of worms and then running back under the bush to feed it.

There is a female blackbird that visits but not as often as the male, and he doesn't chase her off, so I think they must be a pair.

The photo is one that Steve took a couple of weeks ago.  I've not managed to get any photos yet of any of the young ones!

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 1-7 July 2013

This week has seen the "usual's" in the garden. Surprisingly I've not seen the young woodpecker back. Maybe it isn't that confident yet. When I did see it last week it was having difficulty standing on the electric cable that runs across next doors garden. It kept losing its foot hold!  Maybe it's keeping to sitting on thinner branches hidden in the trees.

The strawberries I am grown are not doing too badly, so far I've picked a bowl full, (over the last week) and that must be the record so far in three years! Although the slugs have helped themselves to a few as well!!!

I think I've finally managed to identify one of the plants in the garden and I just love the name, Mystical Black St. Johns Wort!  There are so many things in the garden that I am still trying to identify!

So that the bees could make the most of the wildflowers on the front lawn it didn't get mowed last weekend and they have been making the most of it.  I would really like to have a wild area of "lawn" but there isn't anywhere where it will fit in at the moment.

I am still trying to get some good photos of bees but it is very difficult.  I am quite pleased with this one.

Buff-tailed bumblebee © 2013 Natasha Forder

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels, lots of!	Lupin
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female	Snail	African daisy
Chaffinch - male, female	Slug	Geranium
Greenfinch - male, female, juevenile	Pond skater	Campanula
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Hoverfly	Helianthemum
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Pontentilla
Dunnock - adult	Tree bumblebee	Weigela
Robin - adult, juvenile	Early bumblebee	Foxglove
Jay - adult	Buff-tailed bumblebee	Creeping buttercup
Magpie - adult	Red-tailed bumblebee	Daisy
Crow - adult	Common carder bee	Green Hellebore
Collared dove - adult	Backswimmer	Rose
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile	Small white butterfly	Water lily
Nuthatch - adult	Large red damselfly	Birdsfoot trefoil
		Clover
		Senecio
		Mystical Black St. Johns Wort
		Honeysuckle
		Lavender
		Spirea
		Rose campion

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 24-30 June 2013

I can't believe how tall the foxgloves have grown this year.  Not only are they tall there are lots of them.
Each year there is usually at least one white plant with the rest being what I consider the standard pink colour.  Some of them are taller than me!  The tallest are a bit over six feet in height.

The lupins are doing really well this year.  I grew them from seed three years ago and each year they have produced more and more flowers.

The weigela flowers are beginning to fade but the senecio has just started flowering, the bush is full of buds and a couple out in flower.

This week has been exciting for bird sightings, I have had my first sightings of a young great spotted woodpecker, young robin and a young greenfinch.

Lupins © 2013 Natasha Forder

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels, lots of!	Lupin
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile	Foxes - two adults	African daisy
Chaffinch - male, female	Snail	Geranium
Greenfinch - male, female, juevenile	Slug	Campanula
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Pond skater	Helianthemum
Great tit - adult, juvenile	Bees - various	Aquilegia
Dunnock - adult	Tree bumblebee	Rhododendron/Azalea
Robin - adult, juvenile	Early bumblebee	Pontentilla
Jay - adult	Buff-tailed bumblebee	Weigela
Magpie - adult	Red-tailed bumblebee	Foxglove
Crow - adult	Common carder bee	Creeping buttercup
Collared dove - adult	Large white butterfly	Daisy
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile	Small white butterfly  - unsure what type	Green Hellebore
Coal tit - juvenile		Rose
Nuthatch - adult		Water lily
		Yellow poppies
		Birdsfoot trefoil
		Clover
		Senecio

Bumblebees

I've been trying to do a bit of bee identification this week as well as getting some good photos, which is very difficult! I've not been able to get many reasonable photos of them but they are good enough to try and work out what type of bees they are! This is what I have come up with so far:

• Tree bumblebee 
• Early bumblebee 
• Buff-tailed bumblebee 
• Red-tailed bumblebee
• Common carder bee

These are a couple of the better photos I took and I have identified the bee as a buff-tailed bumblebee.
The flowers are aquilegias.

Buff-tailed bumblebee © 2013 Natasha Forder

Buff-tailed bumblebee © 2013 Natasha Forder

Bird log, Birmingham 22-23 June 2013

This weekend Steve and I visited his parents in Birmingham and this is a list of the birds I saw in their garden.
Quite a short list of types but unlike us they get visits from lots of sparrows and starlings.  In the three years at The Brambles I have seen one young starling last year and this year a couple of sparrows collecting feathers for their nest.  Although we do have them in the area a couple of roads away.

Birds

Blackbird – male, female, juvenile

House sparrow - adult

Starling - adult, juvenile

Great tit - juvenile

Robin - adult

Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 17-23 June 2013

This week has been an interesting week in the garden starting with the owl...
In the middle of the night I was woken by a noise I hadn't heard before.  It was definitely an owl but not the tawny owl which I sometimes hear.  In the morning Steve and I were busy online investigating which owl it was and have come to the conclusion that is was a little owl.

I must have missed all the nesting blue tits leaving the nest but I've heard lots of little tweets from the trees.  On Sunday I finally saw some young blue tits and great tits.

The young blackbird is now feeding itself but Mr Blackbird is still busy collecting mealworms...  So either for another young one from this brood or maybe for a second brood, I'm not sure.

This week I've also seen goldfinches, they do visit but not very often and can usually be found on the niger seeds or sunflower seeds when they do.  I've seen them once this week but over the last couple of weeks the niger seeds that haven't been touched for a while have nearly all gone.  So I suspect they have been around quite a lot, I've just not been around to see them.  Like the collard doves they usually visit in pairs.

Young Woodpigeon © 2013 Natasha Forder

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels, lots of!	Lupin
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female	Various bees	African daisy
Chaffinch - male, female	Snail	Geranium
Greenfinch - male, female	Slug	Campanula
Blue tit - adult, juvenile	Pond skater	Helianthemum
Great tit - adult, juvenile		Aquilegia
Dunnock - adult		Rhododendron/Azalea
Robin - adult		Pontentilla
Jay - adult		Weigela
Magpie - adult		Foxglove
Crow - adult		Buttercup
Collared dove - adult		Daisy
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile		Green Hellebore
House martin - adult (just the one this week)		Rose
Goldfinch - adult		Water lily
Little owl - the sound of!

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 10-16 June 2013

Last week was a busy week in the garden and most of the birds and wildlife noted here have been seen either from looking out of the window or when I was feeding the birds in the morning.  The campanula at this time of year looks beautiful and the bees love to visit.

Campanula © 2013 Natasha Forder

Birds	Wildlife and Insects	Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile	Grey squirrels, lots of!	Lupin
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female	Various bees	African daisy
Chaffinch - male, female	Snail	Geranium
Greenfinch - male, female	Slugs	Campanula
Blue tit - adults	Pond skater	Helianthemum
Great tit - adults	Large white butterfly	Aquilegia
Dunnock - adults	Bat	Rhododendron/Azalea
Robin - adults		Pontentilla
Jay - adults		Weigela
Magpie - adults		Foxglove (just starting to flower)
Crow - adults		Buttercup
Collared dove - adults		Daisy
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile		Green Hellebore
House martin - adults (not a usual visitor, approx. 12 flew around for 5 minutes)		Iris

The Brambles

Mr Blackbird © 2013 Natasha Forder

The Brambles is a mix of trees, shrubs and flowers, a small pond and a “lawn”, although more moss than grass!  From oak tree to primrose, badger to pond skater, The Brambles is full of life all year round.

The different seasons not only bring different weather and plants but also a change in the “visitors”.  I always have a book of garden birds and a pair of binoculars to hand because sometimes I have a more unusual visitor to hand.  One I might not have seen before!

All the time I discover new things about The Brambles.  Only this week upon hearing lots of little tweets did I realise there is a family of blue tits nesting in a little alcove in the roof at the front of the bungalow.  Two busy parents back and forth with lots of bugs and grubs.  I had been too busy watching the family in the nest box in the back garden and I had missed this one!

Mr Blackbird has been collecting food in the garden for some time now and finally last week he visited with one of his young.  Feeding it with some soaked mealworms I had put out shortly before.  So great to finally see :)

I am looking forward to seeing a few more families with their young in the garden soon.