Sunday 11 August 2013

Bird, wildlife and flower log, 5-11 August 2013

This week the resident little owl has been very vocal.  It is usually noisy at night, but early this morning it was also calling.  I dragged myself out of bed but didn't manage to see it.  At night I am sure it is sitting on the roof when it starts "to sing"!

It's been another good week for butterflies with my first ever sighting of a comma butterfly.  The bees have also been busy.  Still making the most of the lavender and flowering herbs.  And I am still trying to get that perfect shot!
Buff-tailed Bumblebee © 2013 Natasha Forder
There is still lots of blackbird activity and fighting between families.  Even the young are fighting each other.

It's been quiet for the squirrels this week.  It seems to be just the very skinny one that has been visiting.  Last week was similar, only this one and the squirrel we fondly call squirrel knackered leg.  More about him in a future post.  Also this week I haven't seen any collared doves either.  The goldfinches are fickle and come and go, so I'm not so surprised they haven't been around.  Even without some of the usual's it's been a busy week, they are non-stop eating and all the food is gone at the end of the day.  Usually the feeders last a bit longer than this!

I've found some garden bugs inside this week, not long after being out feeding the birds so I assume they have come in on my clothes.  I can't make my mind up if one was a grasshopper or a cricket.  I also saw a bright green and black dragonfly, which I've tried to identify but doesn't look like any of the pictures I've seen.

Birds Wildlife and Insects Flowers
Blackbird – male, female, juvenile Grey squirrels African daisy
Great spotted woodpecker - male, female, juvenile Snail Geranium
Chaffinch - male, female Slug Rose
Greenfinch - male, female, juvenile Backswimmer Lavender
Blue tit - adult, juvenile Bees - various Large Daisy
Great tit - adult, juvenile Large white butterfly Lily
Dunnock - adult, juvenile Small white butterfly Hostas
Robin - adult, juvenile Brimstone butterfly Honeysuckle
Jay - adult, juvenile Grasshopper or cricket, in the house! Birdsfoot trefoil
Magpie - adult Dragonfly (bright green and black) Hemerocallis
Crow - adult Centipede, in the house! Cats Ear
Nuthatch - adult Comma butterfly Oregano
Woodpigeon - adult, juvenile
Marjoram
Little owl, the sound of
Thyme

Montbretia

Ragwort

Gaura cherry brandy

Gaura lindheimeri belleza

Penstemon pensham czar

Lobelia x speciosa fan salmon

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

Coreopsis grandiflora rising

Coreopsis sunray

Gaillardia sunburst yellow

3 comments:

  1. Perfect shot Natasha? surely it is this - great photo!

    The Comma is one of our regulars, but seeing lots of whites at present probably because of the veggies we are growing.
    Lots of collared doves too but still no greenfinches.
    Our feeders also being emptied much quicker than normal too probably due to so many more sparrows. Was abut 15 of them the other day all having fun dust bathing.

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  2. Thanks!
    Lots of whites here too, but no veggies for them!
    That must have been great seeing all the sparrows :)
    The greenfinches here are still around at the moment but they do come and go.

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  3. Wow, great photo Natasha - Looks amazing x
    Glad to see you are having so many visitors to the garden too :)

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