Sunday 25 August 2013

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

Monday 19 August 2013

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

Sunday 11 August 2013

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

Sunday 4 August 2013

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