Nuthatches and Tits

Really not having much time at the moment in the garden, its just not good enough. Did manage to snap a few shots today though. This one of a Nuthatch in flight which I really like. The Great Tit chicks were devouring the fat balls. Gosh, if you new having kids would leave you looking like this, you would never dream of doing it.

A Day Away

It was gone 20:30 before I managed to find time to go into the garden today so not much to write about I'm afraid. Mr Woodpecker is here, still no sign of the chicks though.

Red clover has appeared during the night all over the lawn,


and Mr Nuthatch is hammering away at the branch trying to get the shells off the sunflower seeds. Hope to be able to write more tomorrow.

Insects Galore

My favourite photo from today has to be this magnificent Scorpion Fly. I've never seen one before.

I also spotted the first Caterpillar today too. This morning the Siskins appeared again for a quick bite to eat on the feeder. I also spotted this Spider, not one of my favourite things so I'm glad there was a nice big lens between me and it. Then this evening I spotted this poor moth. It has obviously had a run in with something as its missing half a wing. I doubt it is able to fly by the way it was clinging on to the blades of grass. It wont take he birds long to spot him, being that colour in the grass.

FEEDING STATIONS

What a racket there's been in the garden today.

Blue Tit's

We've had six Blue Tit chicks, one Coal Tit and four Great Tit chicks here all day calling none stop for food from their parents.

Great Tit Chick

You wouldn't believe something so small could make so much noise.

I'm waiting to hear from a nice man called Matthew from Mushroom.org before I add the name of this fungi, just in case I get it wrong.

Snarly Sid came to have a drink from the bird bath today. He is such an unfriendly squirrel, he attacks other squirrels, leaps on poor Phil the pheasants head and chases the Chaffinches like its a game. All the others are quite happy to share and eat together, I wonder what made Sid such a little git?

Garden Creche

Oh, its been a lot nicer in the garden today, even though its rained for most of it. It started with a pair of Goldfinches stopping by briefly on the feeder.


Then a family of Blue Tits appeared in the tree. At first I thought there was only one chick but then one by one they all appeared, 4 in all. It was raining quite hard so the pictures not great but if you look closely you can just about see the four of them and mum standing in front.

Then if that wasn't lovely enough a Coal Tit brought her little baby to the feeder.

Buttercup seed pod

Savage Garden

I think this is one of my favourite flowers in the garden and I'm not really sure what it is. It appears in the same place every year but there's only ever just the one.


Well Mr No Tail showed his mercyless side today as he got to grips with an adult slow worm. It took him almost 5 minutes to kill it. I thought that when its tail came off in is beak he would be satisfied but no, he spat it out and carried on pecking to death the main body. What a horrid way to go. The slow worm was so big, he had to break it in 3 to carry it back to his chicks. Then shortly after that I saw one of the Jays grab a fledgling from one of the bushes and fly away with it in its claws. I think I'll need counselling if it carries on like this.

Bee (not sure what sort yet)

Dandilion Dilemma

Female Chaffinch

I've spent the day down the coast today doing the shopping so not had much time in the garden. I did see Mr and Mrs Black Bird out together though which was lovely, but still no sign of the chicks.

Another Bug shot!

I would love to say with confidence that this was a Dandilion. But right now in my garden I have at least 3 different plants all of which a few years ago I would have called Dandilions but now its obvious they are all quite different in size and shape. Which ones the real one I just haven't got a clue.

Happy Days

I am sooooo happy today. Its been 4 days since I've seen either of the woodpeckers and I've secretly been a little worried. But today both of them turned up just after each other, which really made my day. Its also been really busy in the garden today despite torrential rain and even hail at one point. The Sparrow chicks have been great fun to watch with this little one having an accidental soaking in the bird bath after a game of chase with his sister. Last year the Robins virtually ruled the garden but I've hardly seen anything of them since the winter. This one popped by this afternoon but stayed right at the furthest end of the garden. Another bug shot, I think this is a Click Beetle.

Blue Tits and Big Feet

Well it rained and it rained today, so much so it was hard to get any decent photographs. In the brief respite we had I managed to get a shot of 'Snarly Sid' on the feeder. Hadn't realised how big squirrel back feet were before.
During the rain I did manage to get one shot of one of the newly fledged Blue Tits. Only one survived from this brood but it was being very well looked after by both mum and dad.

Midges & Snow

I had planned to start today's blog by going on about the nightmare midges which have now appeared in the garden. I got eaten alive last night outside. BUT............ I saw the mountain weather forecast today and it's forecast snow for the weekend! So that will be goodbye to the midges for a while, yipppeeeee
The temperature has certainly dipped today and the bird table was busy again. I got this lovely shot of a female chaffinch in flight today, which I was really chuffed with. I think I saw a Wood Warbler in the garden today too, which is quite a rare treat. The Song Thrush still isn't showing very well though so still not managed to get a nice photo of her.

I found this Marble Gall squashed in the trunk of a rotten branch last night. It may have been there a while. Looks like a birdie was very determined to get at the larvae inside.


We had another new visitor today. I felt so sorry for him. He'd lost all the feathers from his head, I'm guessing from some sort of mite infection, bless him. 'Mr No Tail' wasn't quite so sympathetic though, took one look at him and chased him away.
And finally another bug shot, some sort of garden flee I think they call them. (Nothing to do with the animal variety)

The anvil stone and the mysterious hole

Mr Blackbird

Well I haven't managed to get a nice photo of the Song Thrush yet but I did come across the anvil stone she uses to smash the shells of the snails, before she eats them. Pretty gruesome!


It was lovely to see the little Dunnock chick appear today though, almost hard to distinguish him from his parents now.


Oh yes, this hole appeared over night, not sure what's made it, could be a few things so will be keeping a close eye on it over the next few days and hopefully I'll be able to tell you.

The cheeky Jays were being very bold this evening, feeding from the bird table. Took a photo of another bug which I can't fnd in any of my books yet. Hopefully will be able to update a name for it soon.

And finally here's a photo of one of the Sparrow chicks. There's 3 of them all together from two different broods and they are all thriving. This is the little female.

New arrivals

Garden Snail

We've had a couple of new arrivals in the last 2 days. Firstly this little Squirrel below. He's a lot slimmer than Squizz and certainly not as cute but he is a lot tamer. He's been playing around on the grass and in the tree's whilst I was sat just feet away from him today.

Our second new arrival is a Song Thrush. I spotted her dashing in and out of the Hedge cuttings pile at the top of the garden, only a meter away from where the Black Birds are nesting. So that's looking quite promising. Hopefully I'll get some photo's of her tomorrow.

The feeders been quite quiet with just the odd visit from the sparrows and this little Coal Tit. Oh I think Mr cuckoo has found a mate. Saw two of them perched together earlier and he's been very quiet this afternoon.


There's not many things in my garden that makes my skin crawl, but this is ONE or as in this photo TWO of them. You wouldn't believe what it took for me to get this close to take this shot. I flinch just looking a it. Daft I know but I nightmares of them flying into my hair and not being able to get them out without hurting them. Very glad these two were busy doing something else, when I took this shot.

Too busy shopping

Garden Chafer

Spent most of today shopping so got to spend no time in the garden at all. Didn't take a single photo! Luckily, I have a few spare ones I've taken over the past few days to add for todays post, which I hope you like. There's cuckoo spit appearing all over the garden right now, its made by a tiny insect called a froghopper.

Welsh Poppy