The sunny weather continues. Just love days like this.
My word the NHS did a good job on my ears this morning. Can hear aircraft taking off at Heathrow now! Getting home and hearing the Blackbirds sing was music to my ears, literally!
Busy afternoon in the garden, rhubarb pulled, fruit patch tidied up. Good to see Ladybirds munching on the Aphids and Bees on the flowers. Hopefully a good year for fruit.
Late afternoon again was spent in front of the monitors.
Interesting to see Adult Starling enticing the chicks to the opening to feed. One scary moment when the Magpie did all it could to enter the box.
Blue Tits are showing signs of growth already. Fuz appearing above the eyes. Eyes as yet not open.
Not a polite way to describe this but - how to remove poo at this age. Chick turns ones bum to the adult who with beak pulls out the poo from said bum. Amazing.
Picture 1 - Starling Chick appears at box opening to secure food adult has brought but is staying at the entrance to entice the chicks out of their nest.
Picture 2 - Adult at entrance.
" 3 - Two Starling Chicks looking about for more wormy things.
" 4 - Three Starling Chicks " " " " " "
" 5 - Blue Tits first thing this morning.
" 6 & 7 - Breakfast time for the Blue Tit family.
" 8 - Adult has just removed poo.
" 9 - Waspy type bug sunbathing.
" 10 - Peacock Butterfly on House wall in morning sun.
Unusual to enjoy a sunny bank holiday. Normally wet & windy? Temp' reached 20c this afternoon.
Good to catch up with Doug this morning with Anna and Ben. My word how Ben has grown since the last visit.
Sadly the Swifts have yet to make an entrance to Basingstoke Road but good to reminisce with Doug & Anna on the success story at 483 when they lived there.
My dream is to take on the good work Doug left behind, have the box, camera and CD. Hurry up Swifts, don't let us down!
On walking around the garden this afternoon I could not but admire the beauty of Snails. Not a gardeners friend and the trend is to kill. Not me, let live I say?
It was also quite noticeable how many Ladybirds are appearing now, saw a mixture of Red, Orange and Black with appropriate spots of course.
Latter part of the afternoon was spent in front of the monitors mesmerised by the antics of the Blue Tit family. The photographs sum up what it is like inside a nest box pretty well.
Pictures 1 - 4 - Snails.
" 5 - Harlequin 2 spot.
" 6 - Ladybird 7 spot.
" 7 - Time to separate.
" 8 - 10 - Blue Tit family.
Up at 4am for the Dawn Chorus walk at Dinton Pastures. The Sunrise was magnificent leading to a brilliant day. Pretty cold at 4am but day turned out very warm. The morning walk was organised by the Wokingham branch of the RSPB and did not disappoint.
Something magical about listening to a Nightingale sing. Lucky to see a White Throat and Garden Warbler which is a first for me. Also the mating ritual of the Crested Grebe.
Arrived home at 9.15am and 10,000 steps pretty tired but oh so happy. My partner on the walk had a step-o-meter, yes really!
On arriving home I said to Lorna, anything doing with the Blue Tits? No she said. I couldn't help but look for myself and yeeeeeeees, eggs were cracking. What a moment. What a morning. Was just a magical moment, never have I experienced this type of moment. Technology has helped me take my garden wildlife to a new level.
Time now to prepare the BBQ for Julie & Darren, Laura & Holly. Arriving at mid-day it was of course only right I introduced them to this wonderful show featuring the Blue Tit family. Think they were pretty impressed?
It was a good afternoon, first bbq of the season and cooked to perfection. Thanks Laura for my introduction to Instagram, what have I let myself in for?!
The day ended as it started, watching my Blue Tit family....ah bless!
Pictures 1 - 3 - Sunrise at Dinton Pastures.
" 4 - White throat in song.
" 5 - Garden Warbler in song,
" 6 & 7 - Grebe mating ritual.
" 8 - Family BBQ.
" 9 & 10 - Hatching of Blue Tits.
" 11 - Removing egg shells.
An overnight frost making way for another stunning day, wall to wall sun all day. Garden at best in these conditions.
Enjoyed an early morning walk at Fobney Nature Reserve. Smell of wood smoke from three barges moored up, morning sun showing the spring flowers at their best, reflections.....what can you not like about a morning like this?
Starling Chicks out of the nest this afternoon, back in this evening however so perhaps another 24/48 hours before departing their home of the last few weeks.
Blue Tit still sitting, no sign of partner again today so was once again leaving nest to search for food.
Good to see Barry, Wendi and the children this afternoon. A pleasure to show and explain where the birds are nesting. The monitors of course added to the excitement.
Time for bed now with alarm set for 4am. The dawn chorus walk tomorrow commences at 5am at Dinton. It is one of Lorna's friends who has put me under pressure for this event, you better turn up Cathy!
Picture 1 - Little Egret in tree at Fobney.
" 2 - Grey Wagtail at Fobney Weir.
" 3 - Kennet & Avon Canal at Fobney.
" 4 - Bit of preening by the Blue Tit.
A pretty good day, at least without rain. Mostly overcast with a little sun this afternoon.
Monthly visit to Henry Street this morning. Bought four pot plants as not grown any myself this year.
Garden this Spring is the best I have seen. Bluebells still in full colour and the Laburnum also the best ever. To think I raised this tree from a seed taken from a park in Yorkshire some six years ago. I have ten plants 18 months old if anyone wants one.
Sunflowers growing rapidly now, think will be transplanting next week.
Picture 1 - Bandstand showing the yellow flowers of the Laburnum.
" 2 - Small section of the Sunflowers germinating.
Another wet and miserable day. Nothing more to say...
A day in front of the monitors and catching up on reading. Hopefully the Bank Holiday weekend will be dryer so I can at least get outside.
Starlings very noisy now, still three dominant chicks and one weaker. Reckon they will fledge this weekend.
Blue Tit still sitting and another day without a partner. Bit wet to check on the Squirrels but pretty sure they will be about.
Pictures are of the Starling Chicks waiting for feed time.
What a cracking day. Sunny all day with temp' reaching a high of 20c at lunchtime. Complete contrast to yesterday.
Wednesday is shopping day so not much doing today. Town this afternoon to purchase a charger for the iPad. How can one lose a charger, I did?
One of the Squirrel babes was about today, spotted at one stage coming out of the Hedgehog box. Will be installing a camera in this box for next season.
Blue Tit still sitting. Partner not seen for two days, bit worrying. Feeds herself now so spends a lot of time out of the box.
Starling Chicks can be seen now. Growing at a fast rate, can see 3 all the time with the odd sighting of a fourth. Can't believe the amount of Poo that is created, all to be removed by the parents over to next door!
A Skipper Butterfly appeared in the Observatory during the afternoons sun. Photographed against a dirty glazed roof.
Good to see Lulu and Clive this evening. Few pints of Doombar & Tribute were drowned during the time Clive was teaching me how to record through my monitor system. Next step is to be taught how to download what is interesting footage to retain on to the laptop. That for another day.
Picture 1 - Phil cutting the ribbon at yesterdays official opening of the Observatory.
" 2 - Showing damage to the Robinia Tree by the Great Spotted.
" 3 - A Skipper Butterfly on the Observatory roof.
