WHAT'S BUZZING OR FLYING NEAR YOU 2018

I'd only just moved the bird bath this morning, repositioned it away from the feeding station, and gave it a good clean. They seem to like the new location of it and it's a great view from the kitchen window, definitely a sweet sight to watch.

We've moved another bird bath down now too, so they can share as it was looking a bit overcrowded!

 

Sienna ours is opposite the kitchen window and I have noticed while they're bathing or drinking they're always on the alert...this maybe the reason they love where yours as been put...they have less risk of danger but can move quicker

 

I used to feed them @Sienna's Blossom but the squirrels had used to make a mess of it besides me feeding them separate...so I stopped that and our neighbour plus two houses further down from us feed them, so they're not lacking in food just water and there's the bird bath on the front...we have a family of four magpies at the moment being a nuisance

 

We've never had a squirrel in the garden as far as I know, but I have heard they can be real nuisances with stealing the bird food. Our biggest threat to our garden birds is the sparrow hawks that sometimes visit, the only problem I have is getting a bit attached to 'my birds' then being sad when the sparrow hawk strikes, but I know that's natures way.

This year, we've planted lots of new shrubs which produce berries, as I want to try and provide more natural food for them rather than them relying just on what we put out.

 

Preening time for the Common Terns at Lodmoor RSPB in Weymouth.




A mix of mainly Mediterranean Gulls with the jet black heads and red beaks and Black Headed Gulls at the top left (one sleeping) with brown heads, plus a few Common Terns in between and three Sandwich Terns bottom right corner. There are a couple of young Gulls without black or brown heads as well. Confused? So am I




Lapwing/Peewit/Green Plover.

 

I have the same issue . The little birds like the Sparrows, Bluetits, Robins and Chaffinch are very confident around me and will eat from a bowl right next to me on the table or that I'm holding for them. They have become almost like pets.

Which shrubs have you planted?

 

Brownsea Island yesterday.
Sandwich Terns.






Common Terns.






Moorhen.


Black Tailed Godwit.


Oystercatcher.

 

Haha @shiney I like squirrels, but maybe not in the garden. I do think they're very cute though, there's a park near the centre of Bristol that has such tame ones, they'll come and take monkey nuts by hand. I also love the red squirrels at Brownsea island although they were much more timid.

@luciusmaximus so far we've planted holly j c van tol, Berberis darwinii, sambucus black lace, a crab apple tree, and also planted out some teasels for the goldfinches.
We also already have aucuba japonica, I'm unsure if these berries on these get eaten or not? And Fatsia japonica, which I have seen the blackbird eating the berries of

 

@shiney I do hope the bee made it through, that's so kind of you both to try to help it.

 

Cinnabar Moth caterpillar (and it seems to have a baby )

 

We've been trying our best too @shiney! If I leave the french doors open and the kitchen window shut we get honey bees in the kitchen frantically trying to get through the window. I think we must be on a flight path to their hive/s? Anyway yesterday evening I discovered 6 honey bees in the kitchen all looking pretty knackered (probabaly been attempting a way through for hours. I got some sugar water on a saucer and got the bees (carefully) onto the saucer and put the lot outside in the sun. Bingo all drank some of the water and then went on their merry way. Pleased I made the effort and it worked. I'll try in future to either have both doors and windows open or both shut to try and stop this happening again.