What's Buzzin' or Flying Near You Today..? MK 3..

Val.. will be after you Jenny

 

Lovely pic, he is a Helix aspersa


Val

 

thanks Val

 

We have had 2 mistle thrush(es) nesting quite low in a tree in the front garden. Unfortunately didn't get many photos - but, yesterday they fledged and are gone today. Perhaps now other birds can use the surrounding trees as they were very territorial but great to watch. I am glad they have been successful as last year they were much higher up in a tree opposite and the crows bombed them and in the fraccas knocked the babies from the nest to the ground :(.

Also have chaffinches flying round the cars (and flapping at our windows) - assuming they are catching spiders/insects.

S

 

I thought this fly had somehow got its head stuck in the clematis stamen, until I saw the crab spider. Apparently instead of spinning webs, they camouflage themselves on flowers and lie in wait...

 

Is the crab spider the round abdomen to the left of the fly?
What a crafty little blighter...
Jenny

 

Yes Jenny, it's that smooth yellow bulbous thing on top of the fly's head! Apparently some of them even change colour depending on which flower they are on! Crafty indeed!

 

Saw another Dartford Warbler today but little else, slightly cropped so not very sharp pics .

 

today I saw one of the large bumble bees walking across patio - next time I saw it, it was on its back. I flipped it back over but it was obviously dying - ended up moving it onto a leaf in case it got trodden on. Happens every year sadly. I have read pesticides or parasites.

Here's a pic I took of one a few years ago - it had landed on a piece of slate, my son picked it up and I was able to get really close.



S

 

Never can resist a Robin or a Blue Tit, Upton CP, Poole.
Never seen a Sika in the woods there before.






Lots of young birds in the garden now, 7 Starlings, 5 Sparrows, 1 Blackbird and one Dunnock so far. Hopefully the Siskins will bring their new brood again as they did last year.
Two of the Starlings.

 

Tidying up a bit this morning - found a couple of brimstone moths eying each other up:

--

 

There's a first winter female blackbird nesting in our hedge!

 

Ive had one nesting in the rambler right outside my front door for the last three or four years - so I finally got around to putting up a nestbox for them to use.. this year - nothing.

 

I was always told not to go too close to the nest as you will cause the nest, hedge, eggs or chicks to smell like human and the bird will skidaddle. Maybe that was it?