What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

I was sitting outside earlier today a Mrs blackbird came and perched about 4ft away from me making a loud chirping noise, I got up and got the tub of mealworms and she stayed there as I scattered them on the ground.
I sat down again and she was quite happy pecking away just a foot or so away from me.

I think she has a nest fairly close.

 

There’s a blackbird here whose song includes the first four notes of Beethovens Fifth Symphony I can only think someone had it as their mobile ringtone.

 

What we really would like not to fly here are the pigeons. They are attacking the flowers of the plums and cherries and now the new soft leaves of both.

 

A busy day here. A cormorant circling while another flew directly over. A heron flying in the opposite direction. A buzzard trying to get up in the thermals. A green woodpecker in the orchard after the ants (wish it would go and have a go at the ants nest in the polytunnel). Blue tits in and out of one of the nest boxes. Corvid all over the place and yes pigeons in the plum and cherry trees now after the leaves as most of the flowers are gone.

 

At last...one solitary house martin flew over the orchard.

 

A question for you folks as I need some advice. In the yard of our small farm there stands an old but substantial shed/barn. 16'x16' it has brick walls to approx 5' and then one of those curved tin roofs. It was open fronted but we filled it in to keep the weather out and just left a doorway wide enough to use for the quadbike during the winter months. It is full of tools, rubbish, things that might be useful and stuff on shelving - you get the idea. But it is pretty sheltered and quiet as we are only in and out a couple of times a day at the most.
Last year we had a swallow pair arrive and take up residence, raise several broods and then leave for the winter. We are really hoping that they return this year - they are always a bit late getting here. But two days ago we discovered a problem. Mr and Mrs Robin, who have been bouncing around the yard and buildings all winter, have built a nest (and are nesting) on top of the old swallow nest! There is only one more possible space for the swallows to nest but in that area the barn timbers are tight against the rear wall and only 2"x3" - 2" is not wide enough to carry a nest. It is too late to get hold of some of those cup things that can be used for swallow nests, although I have heard that they are not that successful. I did see another idea on FB where a farmer had simply fixed 5 or 6 6" nails into a beam, close together to form a stuck out ledge of about 5"x4" to support a nest and this worked, but would the hammering disturb the Robins? I dont want that to happen.
Then there is suddenly another problem - we are not having much luck it seems. Daughter took an old coat off a hook at the end of some shelving this morning and up flew a mummy blackbird, leaving behind a hidden nest and three eggs! She hastily replaced the coat and beat a hasty retreat.
So now what? Can we do anything to help the swallows when they return but without upsetting the Robins, and now the blackbirds - will they return to the nest do you think?
Sorry for the long post - maybe we should leave well alone and hope for the best?

 

Hi @Anna42 I’m lucky enough to get swallows nesting in various places even though they’ve not arrived yet. It’s normally around this time but I’m already beginning to panic I certainly don’t think it’s too late to add a swallow cup or use the 5 nails idea (I saw that as well and thought it was a brilliant idea).
If they want to build a nest somewhere it seems that not much will stop them, I had a new pair arrive last year who started building a nest on an artificial hanging bat we have in our porch. I couldn’t see how on earth they would manage it so we quickly put up a plank of wood high up in the porch, which they ignored. They preserved with the ‘bat’ nest and successfully raised a brood. I’ve posted this photo before (0n GW forum) so apologies for repeating it.
We also had a pair nest on a strip light in our carport and again they raised a brood! Amazing birds.

 

Hi @CatDouch Goodness what an amazing nest. Thanks for your thoughts, I think I may have to leave the swallows to their own efforts this year as I really dont want to disturb the Robins and Blackbirds with a load of hammering. Will have a think over the next few days, but if nothing new comes to mind I will put plans into action next winter ready for the summer of '25.
I'm in one of the large forests in the southern part of Wales so I guess any swallows will arrive here around the same time as yours do. I always think that their arrival marks the start of summer.

 

I think it's a case of leaving them all to get on with it @Anna42 . Better than interefering too much and them all disappearing.
It's just one of those things really. Sometimes we accidentally disturb a nest, or want to help, but it is what it is. You can make some alterations once they're done for the season, and hopefully next year - you'll have lots of new residents.

 

I agree, just do what you can with as little disturbance as possible - it may be their first time as parents.
Robins are very territorial and I've got no idea how they'd get on with swallows, but you'll find out if they nest in there.
We had swifts nesting under our house fascia, and I've also seen an active nest (not sure if they were swallows or swifts, but they were asleep!) on top of a low security light above the door to a block of flats.
I loved the coat/blackbird story!!

 

A friend came in and stayed for an hour or so on Sunday, he was a big, mainly very dark brown bee, and I'm not sure what he was.

 

@Anna42 we have a stone built shed with beamed and tiled roof that we use for garden tools and stepladders. 2 years ago a new pair built a very precarious nest resting on a 1" wide batten between beams. needless to say it fell off with 5 chicks in it so I placed the lot on some straw in an unused hanging basket and hung it from the same spot. They were fine.

Last year they built a better nest in teh same place and another pair managed to stick one high up in a corner between a beam and the wall. This year I got in early and put a small supporting shelf along the beam to make the original nest stronger and space for another further along.

No idea if it's working as we've moved the most often used tools down to the polytunnel to reduce disturbance.

We also have pairs nesting in the ruins of the old farmhouse - 3 nests our first year and I then put up 3 of those cup thingies to encourage more. No takers and no extra nests tho there's plenty of room. Instead they've spread into our "cave" and we now have 3 nests in there - so far. They were flying in thru a gap under the door where the stone step has worn away over the centuries so I've taken the mesh off a ventilation hole above the door so they can come and go with less of the acrobitc stuff.

 

Looks like a red-tailed bumblebee - female

 

Not too sure where our Robins are nesting this year. Looking out of the garden there are gaps in the huge oak trees and they go left centre or right, this year it's right - a first. They have nested in our garden, but not since the squirrels ate their chicks! We currently have a blackbird in the back and dunnock in a berberis darwinii (?) in the front. The dunnock might make it, but Mr Blackbird is being silly.