Wasp? No!

Whilst emptying some bits in one of the wheelie bins I noticed what, at first glance, I thought was a tiny wasp. It wasn't moving so I assumed it had recently died and collected it to put under my LCD Microscope. Read about that here
The wasp like insect was quite small at about 10mm long.



Oh-ho ... what is that extra part jutting out near the lower eye?



Let's turn the insect over and take a closer look ....



That looks to me like the type of proboscis used to puncture skin and have a free drink of my blood. Pretty sure that what I have here is a mosquito though so far I haven't been able to identify which species it is. Any ideas??

Has Summer Arrived?

What a difference a day makes. This morning's picture capture from NOAA 15:



Most of the UK with clear blue skies and 20C already at 9.45 a.m.. Long may it last. BTW. The little yellow cross on the map indicates the position of my aerial.

A Drop or Two of Rain

For once the forecast of heavy rain proved to be correct - an inch of rain in a few hours this morning.



I received a weather picture from The NOAA 19 weather satellite a couple of hours after the rain. Plenty of cloud cover!



The actual signal shows on the right hand side of the screen grab. On the left are the two pictures as they are transmitted, visible light on the left and IR picture on the right. These are then combined in software and false colour added to give a final picture:



I am receiving clearer signals now the weather satellite aerial in mounted on top of my mast.



At one stage during the downpour I noticed the flooding in the garden was getting too close to the robot mower ...



... so it was on with the wellies and out for a quick paddle. Fortunately the water hadn't reached the batteries or circuits. As the ground is nowhere as saturated as it was a couple of months ago the flooding is already subsiding.

Hedgehog Visitor

I placed some solar powered lamps near the feeding station hoping they would be bright enough to get some video clips in colour.



They don't last all night but did last long enough for this Hedgehog visit to the feeding station. One of about four visits it made overnight - assuming it was always the same animal.

Blue Tit brief look at the nestbox

A second cautious inspection of the Birbfy camera nestbox.



A slightly longer visit than the first one about a week ago. The video clip has been slowed down to half speed. It doesn't look very sure about venturing inside as yet.

Squabbling Starlings

I can guarantee a noisy session when a group of Starlings descend on the seed feeders.



I always think of them as a brat pack, like little children who only what what someone else has.

A Brief Look

This morning saw the first bit of interest being shown in the new camera nestbox.



I took a still shot from the video as the Blue Tit stayed only for a few seconds.

Hungry Hedgehog

After spotting a Hedgehog a few nights ago I placed some food in the Hedgehog house hoping it would return. It needs a few really good meals to put back the weight lost during the long Winter hibernation period.. Delighted to see it came again this morning:



There was dried Hedgehog bites and dried mealworms to choose from. As in the past the mealworms were favourite.

No recent sightings of the female Blackcap. She visited the bird feeder for three mornings and then disappeared. I understand that some are resident in the UK and some migrate here at this time of year. Maybe she was an early visitor replenishing her energy before moving further inland. I live about 4 miles inland from the coast.

New Nestbox

My old bird nestbox with a DIY camera setup was getting past it use by date. As the Blue Tits have started house hunting I decided to replace it with a Birdfy Nestbox which has two cameras:



The collage shows the nestbox in the bottom view, with a solar panel mounted above the shed. Top left is the view from the internal camera. Top right is the view from the external camera which monitors any birds coming and going. Now I wait while the birds get used to seeing a new object and then hope someone takes an interest in occupying it.

Hungry Blackcap

The female Blackcap returned this morning. Obviously very hungry and more confident using the Birdfy feeder.



I wonder whether a male will also turn up one day.

Female Blackcap?

The feeder is working well in its new location. Most birds only land for a few seconds as they are probably still wary of a new feeder. This morning I was pleased to spot what I believe was a female Blackcap. They have visited the garden a few times in past years.



The video is slowed to half speed. If anyone can confirm an identification that would help a lot. The second bird, a Blue Tit, has become a regular visitor already.

Hedgehog Awakes

I was more than a tad surprised when I made my usual daily check for any activity in the Hedgehog house. On one of the coldest nights recently there was one investigating the house.



Yesterday I finally made my mind up to move the Birdfy Bamboo feeder to the back garden.



In its original position there were only three visitors - Male and female Blackbirds and a Robin. That confirmed my decision to move it to a position where a greater variety of birds are used to feeding.



The first to make use of the feeder in its new location was - the Blackbird.

The First Visitor

The camera feeder is in rather an out of the way position but it took less than two hours for the first brave visitor to inspect it. What was it? Just think which common garden bird is always close by when there is anything happening when you are gardening. The Robin.



It was very cautious at first but as the only visitor so far it now has its own private source of food. I am seriously thinking about moving the feeder to near the bottom of the garden. There is plenty of bird activity there plus lots of trees and bushes as safe places for them.

P.S.



A Blackbird has finally found the feeder. Things are looking up.

Bamboo Camera Bird Feeder

This is the camera which took the photo of me relaxing yesterday.



It comes with the Birdfy Camera Bamboo Bird Feeder.



It is not the cheapest of camera feeders. Built of sturdy (and heavy) Bamboo wood it has two containers so you can give the birds a choice of food. The camera has a built in battery which is kept charged by the solar panel which comes with it.



My choice of fixing position was not ideal but it was the best place to let it connect to my router as it automatically uploads 20 second movies each time it detects a movement. These are stored for up to 30 days on the Birdfy server. They can be accessed using the Birdfy app which also has access to live view watching. Uploaded clips can be downloaded to the mobile phone.

A view of the feeder. The small black thing, top left, is the solar panel. I use the large solar panel to charge a small power bank.



Tomorrow I will show some video of its first birdy visitor.

The Blogger in His Natural Environment

Taking it easy surrounded by clutter ...



Some of the clutter is from a new camera bird feeder. I was testing the camera indoors and finding my way round the app which goes with it. Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

More about the feeder soon along with it's first brave visitor. Can you guess what it was? Tell you soon.