www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Lee Hurrell wrote: I found a few beetles too.

IMG_7306.jpg

This is Pyrrhocoris apterus. It is not a beetle but a red bug (Hemiptera). Yesterday I have snapped one of them together with the Comma in our garden.

Thanks Traplican, that's it. I just assumed it was a beetle!

Cheers

Lee

Michaeljf wrote:And yesterday, I was shocked (in a good way) because we had a Sparrowhawk only a couple of feet from the back window. Unfortunately I was half way across the room when I realised it wasn't a dark pigeon..and by then the Sparrowhawk had seen me and it was off.

Hi Lee,
I was at home today and the Sparrowhawk in our garden was back again, albeit briefly, sitting in a goat willow at the back of our garden. I managed to get one shot (not a very good one, as the light was dull and I didn't have time to re-adjust the camera settings). Anyway, from his stare you can see he spotted me even though I was sneaking up behind our interior Kitchen door . As soon as I took a photo he was off onto our house roof. At least it's an ID shot!!
Michael

Great to see so close up Michael. They are a stunning bird aren't they?

If looks could kill though.....

It may be of interest but I saw a trailer today for a new programme on BBC4 this Wednesday called Birds Britannia.

Cheers

Lee

I enjoyed Birds Britannia. I'd never seen a Robin being so vicious and had no idea of the debauchery that goes on in the lives of the humble Dunnock. I'll be raising an eyebrow at the ones in my garden from now on...

I'd heard about Magpies and their love of shiny objects but never seen it in action until today. I watched one steal a tealight candle from the cemetery and peck at it in a tree before flying off with its bounty.

My Dad has been over from Spain this week and showed me a Spurge Hawk moth caterpillar he found outside his front gate a few weeks ago. It seems fully grown and must have been on its way to pupate.
I was clearing a passion flower vine this morning which hadn't been pruned for a number of years. Deep within, near the wall I found a bird's nest and then found another newer looking one nearby on the top of an arch. This one had remnants of pale blue eggshells in it and so hopefully proves that we have had successful breeding in the garden. I think the eggs may have been from a Robin.

Sitting at the computer looking at the drizzle, I was chuffed to bits to see the return of a Goldcrest this morning. From what I gather they migrate in this time each year and so this one may have come over from Scandinavia.

As do tits both Blue and Great and there have been plenty of both this weekend. Also noted have been a very territorial Robin, chasing all other species away, Dunnock, Wren, Blackbird and Magpie.

I'm having an ongoing battle with a squirrel who keeps nicking my fat balls and sabotaging the nut feeder. It has learnt how to open the bottom of the latter thus spilling the entire contents. I've foxed it this week by using those little cable ties you get with freezer bags to tie it on but it can also open the fat ball feeder. I'm going to have to invest in a squirrel proof one I think.

My grandad used an ingenious method to deter squirrels from a bird feeder that hung from a washing line. An empty fizzy pop bottle with a hole drilled in the bottom threaded on the line either side of the feeder meant that the squirrel couldn't get past the spinning bottle and onto the feeder! I might have to try that too

I've had this moth seen in Spain this year identified by a contact in Spain as a Spanish/African species, Lasiocampa serrula.
Cheers

Lee

Sunday 28th November 2010

Quite a bumper weekend for garden wildlife watching today.

In the garden I saw Britain's two smallest birds - Goldcrest and Wren along with Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie and both male and female Blackbird.

Given how territorial one of them has been recently I was surprided to see two Robins. Starling and Gulls (I think it's Herring Gull and Lesser Black Backed Gull that live inland?) were also seen overhead.

Could the Blackbirds and Robins be pairing up ready for Spring? I know some birds do so this side of Christmas and start breeding early next year.

Also putting in an appearance were Panther (don't worry, not a real one, just our nickname for a neighbour's black cat), who strolled through with a dead mouse in its mouth, my arch nemesis the Squirrel (grrrr) and a male fox who scent marked on my bird table. Nice.

I'm pleased to report my first sighting since a Red Admiral on 24th October - a Winter Moth had flown in last night and was waiting to be liberated on the patio doors this morning.

I've invested in a 'squirrel proof' fat ball feeder but the birds don't seem sure about it. There were Great Tits, Blue Tits and Coal Tits investigating it within ten minutes of me hanging it last weekend but I haven't seen any feeding since and the balls still seem quite intact. Of course, that could just be because the squirrel can't get at them...!

Happy Chrimbo Lee, to you and family.

And to you Zonda, hope you have a jolly good Christmas in Zonda towers!

The most snow I've seen my way for a while prompted a walk over to the cemetery today, once it had stopped.

This happened in just 2 hours this morning:
While over there I saw a family of Long Tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a Jay along with the usual Crows, Magpies, Gulls, Pigeons and squirrels.

On arrival in Somerset on New Year's eve, there were a few male Winter Moths on the lights outside my mum's house.

Nothing unusual about her garden birds while we were there apart from 2 Pied Wagtails; one black and one grey, which I think is the European version, or vice versa.

Since then Susie has noticed birds pairing up. I've noticed this too in my garden at home. Our usually fiercely solitary Robin has a mate and there have been a male and female Blackbird too.

I've been given a bird nesting box and am looking forward to hanging it on Saturday. I'm hoping the Blue Tits find it

I hung the nest thingy today. Not sure it's in the best place but we'll see.

Had a short walk around the cemetery today, it was nice to see some sunshine for a change Too cold and breezy for any sightings of course.

We had some visitors in the garden today....the photos aren't great as all taken at distance and through glass.

Nice photos, Lee! I haven't had a parakeet or a fox in the garden since I left Hayes.

Thanks Susie.

Parakeets have been in the garden before but this one hung around long enough for me to get my camera! I reallly should have it on standby at the weekends. It also nearly flew down to the peanuts but got spooked and flew off. I've seen 3 or 4 on a nut feeder in Acton in the summer so they do visit garden feeders. There are loads near me and some live not 50 feet from my front gate, in a hole in a big tree. Noisy blighters!

The fox comes most days, they live over in the cemetery and the garden seems to be a thoroughfare. They scent mark a lot too, which smells nice

I used to get parakeets eating pyracanthus berries, much to the disgust of the woodpigeons.

Lee,

Those parakeets are everywhere in these parts. I watched two flocks of 30+birds fly north along the Western Perimeter Road at Heathrow last week, heading away from their overnight roost. Here is a shot taken in March this year of one on a bird-feeder.

Dave

Nice one Dave.

I do occasonally see big flocks, even in Acton where I work. There's a lot less green space than there is where I live though which is odd!

At home I've got parks, golf courses, the river and of course the cemetery all nearby so plenty of breeding areas for them.

You're right though, very widespread this way.

All the best,

Lee