There have been some strong gusts of winds from time to time over the past couple of days. The sort of weather where you see a pigeon soar up in the air and end up flying backwards. Talking of pigeons one has been collecting twigs for nest building. I saw it in the dead tree next door with a piece in its beak which it took across to the large Leylandii in the opposite corner of my garden. After a short while I watched when it came back for more. It walked along branches reaching down testing short dead twigs and trying to pull them off. It succeeded several times only to discard them. All the time it was having quite a problem keeping its balance in the gusts of wind which threatened to blow it into the dead brambles below.
Many birds like to sit right at the top of one dead tree. Yesterday morning a Chaffinch and a couple of Goldfinches were determined to hang on to this prized spot in spite of the strength of the wind. The camcorder was on its tripod. All the movement is the tree wobbling in the wind. A Great Tit can be heard calling from the bushes beneath.
Sheltered from the wind the Great Tit was paying brief visits to the bird table to collect food. Each time it spent a while surveying the area for possible danger before venturing down. All the time it was calling to another Great Tit which stayed just out of view.
With all the calling, bobbing and fluttering it may have been encouraging the other to join it. I caught a short glimpse of the other Great Tit which was adult and not a youngster so it may have been defending its territory.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Friday, 4 September 2009
More of the Regulars.
What a grey day! Yesterday it rained most of the day, partly that fine drizzle which you cannot see but soaks you in a few minutes interspersed with heavy downpours. I will admit the ground, and my pond, were desperate for water so I shouldn't grumble too much.
I was able to stay indoors but wildlife has to keep up the daily round of searching for food so all the usual feathered visitors were still visiting the feeding area.
How is a bird supposed to eat when all the seeds have stuck together?
I'm sure he puts the tastiest seeds in the middle on purpose!
Make way! I'm going to find somewhere dry to eat.
I do look handsome now I'm getting my adult feathers.
If you saw the Goldfinch on the bird bath yesterday where I mentioned it needed a bib to catch the drops of water then you can see it with a bib added by Glo of Porcelain Rose if you click here. Glo says, "The handy thing about this particular bibbity-bobbity-bird-bib is that it can be rolled up when finished with, and tucked under wing or beak (much like the Tommee-Tippee Roll 'N' Go bibs for humankind).". Nice one Glo.
No sign again of Hedgehog activity before I went to bed. Quite a bit of the food had gone from the dish by this morning so they may have moved to the late shift again.
For any of you who don't read Shirl's blog - Shirl's Gardenwatch, her new post Sh.. Hedgehog Napping has some great video of a Hedgehog in the new Hedgehog House. Well worth a visit. I haven't seen any sign of activity in my hog house as yet.
I was able to stay indoors but wildlife has to keep up the daily round of searching for food so all the usual feathered visitors were still visiting the feeding area.
How is a bird supposed to eat when all the seeds have stuck together?
I'm sure he puts the tastiest seeds in the middle on purpose!
Make way! I'm going to find somewhere dry to eat.
I do look handsome now I'm getting my adult feathers.
If you saw the Goldfinch on the bird bath yesterday where I mentioned it needed a bib to catch the drops of water then you can see it with a bib added by Glo of Porcelain Rose if you click here. Glo says, "The handy thing about this particular bibbity-bobbity-bird-bib is that it can be rolled up when finished with, and tucked under wing or beak (much like the Tommee-Tippee Roll 'N' Go bibs for humankind).". Nice one Glo.
No sign again of Hedgehog activity before I went to bed. Quite a bit of the food had gone from the dish by this morning so they may have moved to the late shift again.
For any of you who don't read Shirl's blog - Shirl's Gardenwatch, her new post Sh.. Hedgehog Napping has some great video of a Hedgehog in the new Hedgehog House. Well worth a visit. I haven't seen any sign of activity in my hog house as yet.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
A Few of the Usual Visitors
Just a few photos from yesterday.
I am pleased I bought the extra feeder for the Goldfinches as this was the early morning sight. (BTW the grey bin you can sometimes see in the background is my wormery)
Later on one youngster was so exhausted having to find its own food it fell asleep on the perch.
Amongst the youngsters visiting was this Greenfinch busily picking up seeds the others had dropped.
I think we need a bib to catch the water running down the chin.
Last night was very wet and by the look of the amount of food left in the dish this morning I think the Hedgehogs gave my garden a miss.
I am pleased I bought the extra feeder for the Goldfinches as this was the early morning sight. (BTW the grey bin you can sometimes see in the background is my wormery)
Later on one youngster was so exhausted having to find its own food it fell asleep on the perch.
Amongst the youngsters visiting was this Greenfinch busily picking up seeds the others had dropped.
I think we need a bib to catch the water running down the chin.
Last night was very wet and by the look of the amount of food left in the dish this morning I think the Hedgehogs gave my garden a miss.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Hungry Young Goldfinches and Honey the Hedgehog
I was fortunate this morning to get two video clips of young Goldfinches being fed by the adults. It hasn't taken long for the goldies to get used to the new, larger feeder which is just as well as there are now quite a few visiting on and off all day.
They often arrive with two or more youngsters which spend much of their time calling and flapping their wings.
One youngster was sat in the tray under the small feeder happily eating the thistle seeds the adults had dropped until a few adults arrived. Then the tactics changed to the usual wing flapping and begging to be fed. Eventually an adult turned up and performed its parental duty. After the young one had been fed the adult sits there staring it straight in the eyes as though to say - "There, I've shown you what to eat - now find some yourself."
A short while later an adult was at the edge of the grass where I had emptied some of the spilt seeds.
It seemed to be gathering quite a few. Fortunately I switched the camcorder on and this is what followed.
There was no let up for the harassed adults. Wherever they went at least one youngster was sure to follow.
To Enjoy a Meal - Sit in the Dish.
After an exchange of ideas on Twosie the Hedgehog I decided that the bulk cheap mealworms I had bought on eBay were useless. The Hedgehogs ignored them and even the Starlings left them. Fortunately I still had a few packets left from my usual supplier so I put some of those along with Sunflower hearts, peanut nibbles and crushed unsalted peanuts in a spare mesh dish. Then it was a question of waiting for a visitor. What a difference! Honey turned up and made lots of short visits to the dish, even climbing in it to get at the free grub more easily.
One piece of action I missed recording was when Honey wanted to know what was under the dish so she stuck her nose under and nearly tipped it over as she pushed it out of the way.
They often arrive with two or more youngsters which spend much of their time calling and flapping their wings.
One youngster was sat in the tray under the small feeder happily eating the thistle seeds the adults had dropped until a few adults arrived. Then the tactics changed to the usual wing flapping and begging to be fed. Eventually an adult turned up and performed its parental duty. After the young one had been fed the adult sits there staring it straight in the eyes as though to say - "There, I've shown you what to eat - now find some yourself."
A short while later an adult was at the edge of the grass where I had emptied some of the spilt seeds.
It seemed to be gathering quite a few. Fortunately I switched the camcorder on and this is what followed.
There was no let up for the harassed adults. Wherever they went at least one youngster was sure to follow.
To Enjoy a Meal - Sit in the Dish.
After an exchange of ideas on Twosie the Hedgehog I decided that the bulk cheap mealworms I had bought on eBay were useless. The Hedgehogs ignored them and even the Starlings left them. Fortunately I still had a few packets left from my usual supplier so I put some of those along with Sunflower hearts, peanut nibbles and crushed unsalted peanuts in a spare mesh dish. Then it was a question of waiting for a visitor. What a difference! Honey turned up and made lots of short visits to the dish, even climbing in it to get at the free grub more easily.
One piece of action I missed recording was when Honey wanted to know what was under the dish so she stuck her nose under and nearly tipped it over as she pushed it out of the way.
A Bank Holiday at Home and a Hedgehog Night
This morning I am still laughing. I have just been watching the antics of a young Goldfinch which couldn't quite get the hang of landing on a perch on the feeders and ended up sitting on the head of a young Greenfinch.
I never have been one for getting the car out on a Bank Holiday weekend. Great sunny day yesterday so the coastal towns would probably have been packed and not far inland there had been the usual warning from the police about traffic congestion on the approaches to Cadwell Park. (Motor bike race meeting)
Bank Holiday Monday started off cloudy and cool but soon developed in to a beautiful warm day for checking what was going on in the garden and even to do a bit of weeding.
I decided to snap a few views of the pond as the last time was back in the Spring. As I was taking the last couple of shots a pair of Common Darters, once more linked with the male's tail fixed to the female's head, flew across the shot. At one stage then dipped so low on the water the ripples could be seen. Somehow, in spite of three pictures being taken as they flew across the pond, they managed to stay invisible to the camera.
Fortunately a short while later they settled on a stepping stone and waited patiently while I got a few shots in. They were definitely at risk on that chosen spot as there is a large mass of spiders sticky threads just below the female.
I find it amazing the agility these creatures must have to be able to fly in unison whilst joined in this fashion. Eventually they flew off together.
The only other life on the pond, apart from visiting wasps, were a couple of pond skaters - one resting on a lily pad and the other on a floating bird feather.
As we were setting off for afternoon walkies there was the usual crowd of flutters at the lavender bushes.
A Painted Lady on the path.
A cheeky Small Tortoiseshell hitching a ride on Bobby's back.
As usual at this time of year there was a group of Pied Wagtails grubbing round the grass on the cricket field. It is difficult to get close to them to get a good clear shot. I very carefully took a few steps nearer each time one looked away but if I got too close for their liking they just walked further away.
At about 9 p.m. the clouds were racing across the Moon giving tantalising glimpses every so often.
By 9.30 Henry the dominant Hedgehog made an appearance on the feeding area and proceeded to scatter the mealworms from the dish. At the bottom there were Sunflower hearts and peanut nibbles. The last brief part of this video shows Honey, the shy adult Hedgehog, arrive, ignore the dish and carry on to the rest of the garden. Later she did come back for a long drink of water.
I think there must be plenty of natural food about for them as they spend more time foraging in the garden than on the feeding area these days.
At bedtime Bobby caught the scent of Hedgehog and within a couple of seconds had found Henry who proceeded to curl up and stand his ground. Honey always runs away. I waited for a while and Henry slowly peered out to see if it was safe to move on. I turned round to see where Bobby was. By the time I turned back again Henry had vanished. They really can get a move on when they want.
If you enjoy watching the antics of Hedgehogs I have recommended Hog Blog in the past - great videos and photos. Just recently I discovered Twosie the Hedgehog - another site with lots of videos of their Hedgehog visitors and lovely descriptions of what they get up to in the garden there.
I never have been one for getting the car out on a Bank Holiday weekend. Great sunny day yesterday so the coastal towns would probably have been packed and not far inland there had been the usual warning from the police about traffic congestion on the approaches to Cadwell Park. (Motor bike race meeting)
Bank Holiday Monday started off cloudy and cool but soon developed in to a beautiful warm day for checking what was going on in the garden and even to do a bit of weeding.
I decided to snap a few views of the pond as the last time was back in the Spring. As I was taking the last couple of shots a pair of Common Darters, once more linked with the male's tail fixed to the female's head, flew across the shot. At one stage then dipped so low on the water the ripples could be seen. Somehow, in spite of three pictures being taken as they flew across the pond, they managed to stay invisible to the camera.
Fortunately a short while later they settled on a stepping stone and waited patiently while I got a few shots in. They were definitely at risk on that chosen spot as there is a large mass of spiders sticky threads just below the female.
I find it amazing the agility these creatures must have to be able to fly in unison whilst joined in this fashion. Eventually they flew off together.
The only other life on the pond, apart from visiting wasps, were a couple of pond skaters - one resting on a lily pad and the other on a floating bird feather.
As we were setting off for afternoon walkies there was the usual crowd of flutters at the lavender bushes.
A Painted Lady on the path.
A cheeky Small Tortoiseshell hitching a ride on Bobby's back.
As usual at this time of year there was a group of Pied Wagtails grubbing round the grass on the cricket field. It is difficult to get close to them to get a good clear shot. I very carefully took a few steps nearer each time one looked away but if I got too close for their liking they just walked further away.
At about 9 p.m. the clouds were racing across the Moon giving tantalising glimpses every so often.
By 9.30 Henry the dominant Hedgehog made an appearance on the feeding area and proceeded to scatter the mealworms from the dish. At the bottom there were Sunflower hearts and peanut nibbles. The last brief part of this video shows Honey, the shy adult Hedgehog, arrive, ignore the dish and carry on to the rest of the garden. Later she did come back for a long drink of water.
I think there must be plenty of natural food about for them as they spend more time foraging in the garden than on the feeding area these days.
At bedtime Bobby caught the scent of Hedgehog and within a couple of seconds had found Henry who proceeded to curl up and stand his ground. Honey always runs away. I waited for a while and Henry slowly peered out to see if it was safe to move on. I turned round to see where Bobby was. By the time I turned back again Henry had vanished. They really can get a move on when they want.
If you enjoy watching the antics of Hedgehogs I have recommended Hog Blog in the past - great videos and photos. Just recently I discovered Twosie the Hedgehog - another site with lots of videos of their Hedgehog visitors and lovely descriptions of what they get up to in the garden there.
Monday, 31 August 2009
Lurve is in the Air with Pleated Wings
Yesterday spotted two pairs of Common Darter Dragonflies joined head to tail spending a lot of time over the garden pond. I tried for a while to get a photo of them in flight but my ability to adjust the manual focus fast enough defeated me. I did manage a few fuzzy photos of which this is the best.
After a while they moved on to try somewhere else. Later I noticed a lone female spending some time around the pond and had more luck in snapping this one as she flitted about.
Eventually she settled and spent quite a while in the same spot, occasionally flying up and returning to the same resting place.
One thing I was hoping to record was the unusual way the wings of the dragonfly are designed. At first glance they appear to be flat but if you get the chance to look very closely ridges can be seen. The wings actually have a corrugated or pleated effect.
It can be seen if you study the left front wing shown above.
I would never have spotted this if it hadn't been for a post on Kelly's excellent blog - Red and the Peanut. You can see the post here - "The Stylish Pleats on a Dragonfly's Wings ....". Kelly did some research and recently it has been found that the folds in the wings create circulating currents of air which reduces the drag on the wing. This design appears to be unique to Dragonflies. Once again Nature has the edge on us mere humans in designing an efficient wing.
After a while they moved on to try somewhere else. Later I noticed a lone female spending some time around the pond and had more luck in snapping this one as she flitted about.
Eventually she settled and spent quite a while in the same spot, occasionally flying up and returning to the same resting place.
One thing I was hoping to record was the unusual way the wings of the dragonfly are designed. At first glance they appear to be flat but if you get the chance to look very closely ridges can be seen. The wings actually have a corrugated or pleated effect.
It can be seen if you study the left front wing shown above.
I would never have spotted this if it hadn't been for a post on Kelly's excellent blog - Red and the Peanut. You can see the post here - "The Stylish Pleats on a Dragonfly's Wings ....". Kelly did some research and recently it has been found that the folds in the wings create circulating currents of air which reduces the drag on the wing. This design appears to be unique to Dragonflies. Once again Nature has the edge on us mere humans in designing an efficient wing.
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Encounter with an Evil Weevil
Taking one of my quick browses round the garden pond yesterday I spotted what I first thought was a beetle climbing one of the marginal water plants.
It continued to explore the plant and at one time fell in the pond. As I was interested to see what it was I rescued it and placed it on the edge of the pond.
At the time I hadn't the faintest idea what I was looking at. I just though it was an interesting beetle. Much later, after a lot of searching the net looking for the wrong thing, I finally identified it as a Vine Weevil. If I had known that to start with I would have been tempted to leave it when it fell in the pond. It was back near the beginning of April when I was investigating the demise of my strawberry plants in the greenhouse that I found the compost was full of the grubs of the Vine Weevil. See Grubbing About.
The weevil must like walking as much later in the day I saw it, or a relative, walking at the top of the kitchen window which at least gave another chance for a double reflection photo opportunity.
How do they manage to walk on smooth vertical surfaces?
Addendum:
Jan (Shysongbird) gave me a link to an interesting article from New Scientist on the subject of how creatures walk up walls and across ceilings without falling off.
Why evil? It, or one of its relatives, was responsible for killing off my lovely strawberry plants which I had moved to the greenhouse in the hopes of an early crop.
It continued to explore the plant and at one time fell in the pond. As I was interested to see what it was I rescued it and placed it on the edge of the pond.
At the time I hadn't the faintest idea what I was looking at. I just though it was an interesting beetle. Much later, after a lot of searching the net looking for the wrong thing, I finally identified it as a Vine Weevil. If I had known that to start with I would have been tempted to leave it when it fell in the pond. It was back near the beginning of April when I was investigating the demise of my strawberry plants in the greenhouse that I found the compost was full of the grubs of the Vine Weevil. See Grubbing About.
The weevil must like walking as much later in the day I saw it, or a relative, walking at the top of the kitchen window which at least gave another chance for a double reflection photo opportunity.
How do they manage to walk on smooth vertical surfaces?
Addendum:
Jan (Shysongbird) gave me a link to an interesting article from New Scientist on the subject of how creatures walk up walls and across ceilings without falling off.
Why evil? It, or one of its relatives, was responsible for killing off my lovely strawberry plants which I had moved to the greenhouse in the hopes of an early crop.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
