What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

Magpies, indeed all corvids are mobbed because they are prolific nest robbers of other birds, taking both eggs and young.

 

More baby birds. Yesterday I had young greenfinches, and today a whole crowd of baby blue tits arrived. Next door has a blue tit nesting box which I have watched the adults taking food to, so this is likely the successful outcome.

 

I don't know enough about their preferred habitats @Sheal, so it's difficult to know why we don't get the hooded crows when we get the others [not ravens of course] and you get those crows but not the others! Maybe I've just never seen them.
We also get plenty of birds of prey, and owls, although mostly seen in the general area rather than in the garden itself. Sparrowhawks have been in a few times though.
We're near farmland, and then about 15 to 20 mins drive to the nearby moors [and the big windfarm] but we also have a small NT garden a stone's throw away, which can often affect which birds will actually visit the gardens regularly. Plenty of water sources too, so a good mix of habitat.

Lovely pix @Escarpment .
We rarely get greenfinches in the garden, but there's plenty of them around. They've become quite rare in many places though, which is a pity. Bullfinches don't visit too often either but I see them regularly when I'm out.

 

Regarding the Thick Legged Flower Beetle shown by Sheps on page 33, - they are also called False Blister Beetle or Swollen Thigh Beetle apparently, well they appear to enjoy the pollen on roses too.
Here's one I found yesterday on 'The Lady's Blush', a David Austin rose. This is a female I think.
I don't recall seeing one before or I've just never noticed.

 

@fairygirl this is the first year I've seen greenfinches in the garden, though I've been seeing and hearing increasing numbers of them in the neighbourhood over the last few years. I believe the population is recovering after being badly hit by trichomonosis.

 

Yes- that's devastated them. I'm not sure we've had that round here, I'd have to research that.
Good to hear they're improving in your neighbourhood.

 

One of the many Empis livida that kept me company whilst photographing the Bee Orchids.

 

Damselflies seen on my walk in a wet meadow yesterday. I'm fascinated by their hairy backs and legs!

 

Shelduck.

 

There are so many baby birds in our garden at the moment, I think the long tailed tit chicks are the cutest. There were 4 lined up earlier as one of their patents fed them. Not a very good photo as it was taken through my kitchen window on my phone!

 

Loads of baby birds in our garden as well . Bluetits , long-tail tits and great tits and I agree with Catdouch the long-tail tits are the cutest .

Been nice watching them learn to use the feeder they often sit ontop of it like in the picture above and the parents feed them .

 

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker and Robin sharing the water facilities provided.

 

The woodpecker does fly so fast that it's difficult to get a good photo. Then it sits on the other side of the feeder!

A few shots of it in action are the best I can do.

 

Robin, blue tit and great tit have all had their babies here to feed. This morning we had a male G.S. Woodpecker and two chicks which he actually chased off the feeder, but they did come back after he left.

 

The Blue Tits nesting in a box outside my kitchen window left this morning. It's strange not seeing the to-ing and fro-ing of the parents after all these weeks.