Naturewatch update ....

It's pretty concerning, we usually get quite a few as the garden backs onto a park and trees and shrubs run the length of the bottom wall, but we've not seen anything since last Summer/Autumn. Don't even hear their song, so I've no idea where they've gone.

We don't seem to have Blue Tits nesting yet either, the box is clean and empty and ready for some to decide they want to give it go, but nothing, unless they nest late this year.

 

Too many cats about.

 

Louis, come and have look at my vegetable patch there'll literally be 100's of the little blighters in a months time at the moment I so 1 only yesterday the caterpillars devastate my Colly's, Calabrese and Cabbages if I don't put net's over them.

 

4 blacky's eggs free to a good home!
Having spent the last week watching the parents painstakingly build the nest, I looked out this morning to find that a local moggy had, seconds before, taken out one of the parents and left him on the lawn close to the nest. The eggs could only have been laid the day before.
No sign of the hen today.
On the bright side I'm sure they would go a long way towards covering Dike's transfer fee?

 

In comparison to what a pigeon classes as an acceptable nest



Not my photo

 

We we're pretty much the same last year but a pair of Sparrow Hawks thats nesting near by have spooked all of our usual birds or even eaten them. Usually see the blue tits re building their nest box around this time but no sign of them, along with many other visitors that come to feed on our feeders.

 

The blue tits have been around and on the feeders, just not taking interest in the box, but it has been unusually cold on evenings in London so far this year. I've not seen any sparrow hawks around for a long time, so I don't think it's that. Nor cats or foxes. Still plenty of goldfinches, sparrows, long tailed tits, great tits and dunnocks oh, and of course the resident cheeky robin about.

We're not around for the next week, so maybe they may start gathering moss while there are no people milling around, fingers crossed.

 

Drive past it every weekday, it's amazing that it's still there next to the road.

 

It disappeared for a while when the roadworks were there a few weeks ago, and I didn't think it was going to come back.

 

Are these common. There is one permanently hovering in my garden like a bee/ wasp cross but it has long dangly legs. I think it's a worker protecting a nest in some conifers adjoining our neighbours. Never seen one before..not an obvious wasp or bee?

 

One of the varieties is called the common bee fly, but many people I've mentioned it to have never seen them. I've never seen one outside of London but thats not to say they aren't about elsewhere, but I don't know how far their natural environment reaches. I suspect they are often confused as a hover fly or a bee.

You usually only see a handful together, 2 or 3 and they often "fight" and fly around each other. If you see it close up, it has a really long proboscis to get into flowers, loves grape hyacinths. They are only around about a month (mid March to mis April) and then they are gone again til the next year.

Glad you've seen one though, people often think I've made them up!

 

Cheers mate...it's looking like one, they are permanently hovering over my patio table as if they're guarding something and they appear when I go outside...I'll give them a couple of weeks grace then and hope they move on

 

They are completely harmless, don't have a sting or anything so you've no need to worry.

Dark-edged bee-fly | The Wildlife Trusts

 

Cheers my mate.....I'll leave it alone...I'll even do your water and sugar technique

 

What's this? Seemed juvenile as it didn't seem bothered by me, nearly had it taking seed from my hand.

 

Looks like a dunnock, but I don't tend to see them that closely.

 

Also may have a pair of nesting bullfinches in or near the garden, pulling moss out of the cracks and disappearing, returning soon after.

 

Why would you encourage these into your garden, harmless or not ?

 

Definitely a Dunnock.