What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

Blue tits have been in and out of nesting box on fence since last Tuesday feeding there chics but today they haven't been around since early this mourning . Its been pelting down here all day and not forecast to stop till Friday.
Do you think the chics are dead ,feel gutted

 

From what I've seen in the past they often fledge/leave in wet weather! I guess as it's a safety thing. Best look on the bright side that they have left and are doing fine.

 

I buy sunflower hearts from B&M...

Glennwood Wild Bird Sunflower Hearts 12.5kg | Pets | Birds - B&M (bmstores.co.uk)

 

I often get some in the other, similar, shop @Sheal - Home Bargains. They're about the same price I think. However, I normally get my bird food from Garden Direct. You have to spend £25 to get free delivery, so I'm usually ok for that if I need a seed mix as well.

I had that problem a couple of years ago @Dropmore - there were chicks, and the parents were doing a lot of frenzied, back and forth feeding, but they didn't fledge. I found them when I cleared the box out later in the year. It's how it is sometimes.

 

Little terns on the North Norfolk coast

 

Thank you @Sheal and @fairygirl Band M or Home Bargains would have been where I would have tried next. May have been wasting my money anyway as I haven't seen the goldfinches since Tuesday
But I expect the squirrel will eat them if nothing else does!

 

I have my feeders in purpose built cages so that those grey pests can't access them, although they try.
I'm certainly not going to encourage them.

 

I don't encourage them but tbh I only seem to have one and he doesn't take much. Live and let live.

 

Yet again working in the garden a robin comes to check what I am doing. It gets very close and tilts its head as though waiting for me to say something. I often do!
Why though are robins so unafraid of us when we are in the garden working while other birds keep away? How have robins learnt that their behaviour in coming so close to us in the hope of a nice juicy worm is so safe?

 

If you don’t see them in the next couple of days, you could try to take the nesting box down and have a look.

My great tit youngsters have left yesterday when it rained for hours, like DiggersJo said.

 

I've just checked Home Bargains @fairygirl and sunflower is the same price as B&M at the moment. I'll keep them in mind though if B&M sell out. I don't buy seed online as it's too expensive to get it delivered here.

I also by a good seed mix in The Range. I've just checked their site but it's not showing on there at the moment.

 

Yes - the P&P is the big problem when you're further north than me @Sheal . It can be prohibitive for all sorts of purchases. I don't think people realise just how expensive it is to live anywhere in The Highlands.
I've not looked at The Range for seed, although we have one a few miles away.

 

Just had a look in the box and unfortunately the chics have died.
Think the parents were struggling to get enough caterpillars last couple of days and the wet weather finished them off.
Anyway do you think I should clean the box out or just take the chics out and leave the nest incase they want another go.

 

Thanks for the reminder that not all chicks make it. What a shame.
I would take the box down, bury the chicks, clean the box, and hang it back again. Because you can’t exclude an infection, I would give the box a proper clean.

 

Can't help with that @Dropmore as we have no nest boxes. No shortage of birds and their young tho but we do have plenty of places they can nest - eaves, old walls, ruined farmhouse, trees and shrubs.

What I don't understand is the lack of noticeable insects. We have 4 acres, of which 1.5 is left to pasture. On the rest we have the old armhouse ruins and 2 old barns plus our house - the 1930 farmhouse plus the outbuildings and annex and the veg plot and its polytunnel. All is surrounded by a mix of trees and hedgerow plants except for a bit of stone wall by the gates. There is also a large, deep pond originally dug for water for cows.

We don't use any pesticides or herbicides and leave lots of the grass long as it is old pasture and farm tracks so full of wildflowers. I have planted trees and started making beds full of pollinator friendly flowers and shrubs but I don't see or hear masses of insects a-buzzing except for the crickets at the end of the day and bees in plants like the wisteria. We also leave stacks of wood to rot and have lots of compost heaps so where are all the insects?

There must be some about as we have swallows and house-martins swooping about but I see very few.