What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

When people go abroad to "exotic" places they marvel at the beautiful birds that they see. All these posts do show us that we also have fabulous birds here in the UK many with some lovely colours and pigmentation. Great to see so many photos of these birds.

 

I see she laid a third egg on Sunday, the day of my first visit this year, and the day I was really lucky to witness the male of the pair catch a fish in the Glaslyn estuary at Porthmadog. However I guess the third egg is just 'insurance' and the chick will probably be bullied to death by it's siblings

 

Two baby wood pigeons pecking around in the grass under the bird feeders. A pair of bullfinches and some chaffinches have been keeping them supplied with dropped seeds and suet pellets! Heard the owls very near the house again last night. The blue tits are still buzzing around collecting food. One of them has carefully examined all the outside hinges of the French windows, despite my glass cleaning, I’m sure there are plenty of spiders to be eaten.
@CatDouch, we had a wren built a nest in our coiled hosepipe a few years ago. Rather messed up our watering that summer! The new hosepipe now lives inside the garage, and we took down the holder after the end of the nesting season, and replaced it with a wooden bird box. We have had wrens nesting in it, not sure if they are there this year, as there isn’t a decent view of the box from the house.
I tried to take a picture of the bullfinches on my iPad but that didn’t work! However, it does show our sunflower seed feeder, with the plastic dome to deter the squirrels. It works very well. It is hanging from a branch of a very large mature birch tree, and the numerous squirrels round here given up trying to climb down to it. Every year, some of the new youngsters will have a go but quickly realise they just can’t get a grip!

 

The pair of Ospreys here in Poole Harbour have just produced a fourth egg. Four is not a good number and the fourth may not survive. Three fledged three last year.

 

I saw the wren today @Ergates as it flew out when I walked past and startled me! I’ve read that male wrens build quite a few nests and the female chooses which one she wants. Hopefully she won’t choose this one. Last year a wren built a lovely nest just under our thatched garage roof but the female didn’t choose it either!

 

The Siskins here bred well last year @fairygirl so there's a good number around at the moment. Three years ago Chaffinches and Greenfinches suffered great loss due to that nasty disease - sorry I can't remember what it's called at the moment. I shut down my bird station three times for a number of weeks and also disinfected the bird bath regularly. Last year Chaffinches had a good breeding season and throughout this last winter and up 'til now I've counted eighteen in one visit from them. Sadly the Greenfinch numbers haven't recovered and I only see two or three now and again.

 

There was a distinctive lack of bees last year both honey and bumble and they were tiny. I've seen quite a few bumbles this spring, even though it's still quite cool and they are big. There's an oak tree almost opposite my front gate and honey bees have nested in a hole in the trunk for a number of years. They are high up so I can't see them and haven't had a chance to stand and listen for them yet.

 

I have great tits nesting in my garden. On Sunday I noticed one bird repeatedly entering the nest box and then promptly leaving again, still holding something. I reckon it caught a caterpillar that was too big for the chicks, but didn't want to give up! Eventually it sat on top of the bird feeder and ate the caterpillar itself.
I've seen a similar event from the inside on a live Blue Tit cam that was on YouTube last year. The parent bird tried the grub against each gaping beak in turn but it just wouldn't fit. The bird flew to the exit, but then turned around and tried them all again, before giving up and leaving with the food!

 

Such a perfect nesting spot from the bird's point of view!

 

My lawn is in quotes too!

 

Lovely photo @Escarpment
I was just discussing that disease with a friend recently in an email @Sheal . I can't remember the name either!
I think @CatDouch experienced it with some birds, although I could be wrong about that too.
We often have problems here with the small birds and their young fledging, because the weather can be really horrible just at that time - wet, wild and windy. I always think - if they could just wait a little while!
We had our hottest/driest summer on record here last year, so there were plenty of wasps and bees nesting. We had some getting into the house through the little soffit vents. The window cleaner didn't replace them when they fell out when he cleaned it all for me. I can't reach them with the ladders I have either. They weren't a problem though.
We seemed to have swapped with the east side for a fair bit of last year in terms of weather. Very difficult for all sorts of wildlife.

 

Trichomonosis is the disease. It has been found in other birds but appears that greenfinches have been affected the most.

 

Yes your memory is correct @fairygirl it’s Trichomonosis and over the years I’ve had several birds die of this horrible disease. In my garden it’s mainly been bullfinches but I’ve seen greenfinches die of it too. It always involves taking the feeders down and disinfecting feeders and bird baths. I always dread it when I see the signs.

 

That's the one @On the Levels. I just couldn't remember the name, but I was sure it was the greenies that were taking the brunt.
I thought you'd had the problem with your garden birds @CatDouch. It's really horrible. I wonder if some areas are experiencing more of it than others too.
I don't think there's much else you can do other than what you're already doing.