What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

That's a great shame @Dropmore I agree with @simone_in_wiltshire .

Quite the opposite here @Obelix-Vendée we seem to have more insects than ever this year. However I did notice there were a lack of oak caterpillars being caught when it rained all day this week (Monday?).

 

Have done what you suggested simone.
I was surprised that there were only 4 chics in the nest and 2 of them were very small so don't know what's happened.

 

I have been very entertained lately by the interactions between the foxes and the magpies. I put out calci-worms for the birds each day, but the foxes have found this source of protein and hoover up as many as they can find. The magpies harrass them by chattering at them and pecking at their tails to try and move them on.

 

I also had the impression that my tits had less youngsters than the first couple two years ago. But the parents always found food. I think your ones had a poor start.
My neighbour told me that some years ago, they noticed that the parents didn’t come back. In the evening they opened the box and took the nest inside and fed them over the following days until they were ready to go. She said this was the most sleepless days she ever had. You know that when one of the couple dies, the partner also dies shortly later. Maybe something happened to your tit parents.
That’s life, Dropmore, it’s not always everything going by plan. That sadness is part of it.

 

Enjoyed an afternoon at Holkham Beach and adjoining reserve. Quite a range of birds around including sightings of spoonbills, avocets, common scoters, marsh harrier, lapwing and my first ever sighting of a bittern. Alas no photos as all were viewed through binoculars but a very pleasing to see.

 

It's unlikely they will breed again this year @Dropmore.

 

It's very annoying that we have to pay more here as part of mainland Britain. I lived on the Isle of Man for 24 years and it was normal there to pay more for delivery being offshore, however, many retailers wouldn't deliver there. If I needed anything special I'd have it delivered to my brother on the mainland and he'd send it on.

 

Thanks for all your kind comments regards the bluetits,I've been googling around and it looks like this is not uncommon . I hope they have better look next year.

Anyway on a more positive note I saw a couple of goldfinches in the garden today .I haven't seen them in the garden for a couple of years since I got rid of all the weeds.
Also saw a bullfinch in the garden. Not seen one before so I was made up with that.

 

I had two greenfinches yesterday, first time I've ever seen them in the garden. They've been getting more numerous in the area and I often hear them calling. They ate some dandelion seeds and then spotted the feeders and had a good long session on the black sunflower seeds. Good job I've stocked up on those.

 

Same here, we now have a pair visiting almost daily for the first time in about five years.

Pied Flycatcher in Devon yesterday, none breed in Dorset and very few pass through.

 

Two green bottles hanging on a ..... poppy.

 

What fascinating pictures.

 

Lovely pic of the greenies @Escarpment - they look like youngsters.
We have them round here in good numbers, but they don't often need to come into the garden. Same with bullfinches, so it's a nice bonus if they do appear now and again.

It isn't fair at all @Sheal re the postage. Some prices are beyond belief. What I don't get is - many companies have a contract with the delivery companies, and there's a maximum price involved so they'll be absorbing any extra costs due to distances, but it doesn't seem to get passed on to the customer. I suppose they'll now use the usual defence of rising prices for fuel.

 

I've been finding what looked like splashes of blue paint around the garden - realised it was bird poop but what on earth could they be eating at this time of year? Then I remembered the mahonia - I bought one earlier this year and noticed a couple of weeks ago that it had a good number of berries on it. Went to check and sure enough, they were all gone.

 

The local pair of Blue Tits which don't use our nest box came today with their young which are already looking big.