What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

Fantastic images everyone, especially like the Scarlet Tiger @On the Levels

Here's a Thick-legged Flower Beetle.

 

The buzzards here must have been reading this @cactus_girl - there was a pair of them overhead the following day! One yesterday too. I love hearing them.
Gorgeous butterfly/moth pix @burnie and @On the Levels .

The youngsters are starting to get quite regular now.
The first one of the robin was from my bedroom window, so not brilliant.Mum/Dad was
nearby, keeping an eye out


Inspected the pond - but didn't have a dip


This wee soul was looking decidedly unsure of everything!

 

Blowfly in the garden this morning.

 

Common European Greenbottle

 

Seen again @Sheps but mowing the paths in the orchard not one butterfly.

 

Found the feathers of a pigeon on the lawn this morning and then found the remains at the very end of the orchard. Sparrowhawk probably having breakfast. We do have a lot of pigeons.
Then we had a family of 4 long tails visit the feeders. Lovely to see them back.
At the same time we had a chiff chaff. Wanted to know what the long tails were doing and tried to get to the feeders but really didn't know what to do. A lovely bird and not often seen.
Buzzards over head all morning.

 

We don't need an alarm clock! For the last 3 mornings at 5.30am we have had a crow calling outside our dormer window and then attacking the window glass. We assume it is seeing its reflection and attacking the intruder. However this window has been is situ for decades and while the crow hasn't we wonder why it is suddenly needing to attack the reflection. Wish it wouldn't though as 5.30am really is too early.

 

Yeah...butterfly numbers seem down this year @On the Levels I've hardly seen any this year.

 

@Sheps why do you think that there are so few now? We have always had butterflies in our garden and now with our orchard we use to have more. Where have they gone and why?

 

Crows and magpies are very vocal here as soon as it's light @On the Levels, especially as we;ve had magpies nesting in the trees in the garden . My younger daughter was demented by them because she already had to be up early for work, so that made it worse. She's moved out recently, so she's getting a better sleep!
This wee chap eventually got the hang of having a bath, after dipping in and out. It was like watching someone testing the bathwater and finding it too hot or too cold

 

I counted 14 long tailed tits on the feeder this morning, some adults and some young. I don't know whether it's been a good year for them or whether they've worked out I offer a good buffet, but I've never had so many in the garden before. As usual, not a brilliant photo as it was taken out of my bedroom window.

 

Mrs Pheasant having a dust bath in the recently emptied and dug over bed.

 

Wish some humans would do the same....

 

Just seen a swarm of bees in my garden! I heard them first! Not sure whether they were passing through as I can’t see them now. I retreated for a bit but just been out to check the place where we had a travelling swarm once before (the stone wall next to the pond, sheltered by a Juniper bush) and they aren’t there. Last time they settled there for one day then moved on. I believe this is common behaviour when ‘moving house’.

 

Well what a wonderful day. Family here for lunch so walking around the garden and then into the orchard (we did give them lunch later!). So so so many swifts, martins and swallows flying just above us swirling and diving. So many. Great to see them in such vast numbers. Late afternoon still some around but in very small groups.