A very Good Friday...

What a lovely days its been. All morning there were clear blue skies and only a little breeze with some warm sunshine. As it was a busy bank holiday and our coast roads are heaving with visitors (cheers Robson) we haven't been far. I resurrected the garden table and chairs after the winter sojourn and did some weeding, planting and pruning while keeping an eye open for garden visitors.

First though, a negative record. There are still no Chiffchaffs singing here. This is getting quite late now as last year we had good numbers from 10th March, but I suppose they will be coming to a willow near us very soon.

The moth trap has been ok this week with double figure catches most nights of the usual orthosias etc, and today we saw our first butterfly of 2016, a Small Tortoiseshell on the windowsill. Unfortunately it was on its toes before the camera could get focussed. The flowering currants in the garden are 'pinking up' nicely and were visited by a few Buff tailed Bumblebees with one Early Bumblebee today.

The area around the nestboxes was particularly busy with pairs of Tree Sparrows squabbling for squatters rights, whilst high overhead, a Skylark sang constantly. If only all spring days could be like this....

House Sparrow at the terrace....the opposite end to last year.

Trying to get both birds in the gap between the twigs was tricky. Tree Sparrows.

Twin-spotted Quaker

Red Chestnut

Local Conservation...

A day off today has been spent doing something constructive for the garden wildlife, in particular the Tree Sparrows. All of our nest boxes have had a bit of a spring clean ready for this years breeding season. We now have 8 good, viable Tree Sparrow boxes in pretty close proximity to form a colony, with a 9th box sort of on the periphery that I've left un-numbered as it might not be suitable, we'll see. The three hole terrace is counted as one box not three.

When cleaning out, it was pleasing to see that every single box has been occupied previously so lets hope the same happens this year. I'll be keeping a count of the occupied ones as the season starts. Usually we have about 6 pairs that each have 2 or 3 broods so by September the garden is heaving with Tree Sparrows. Its a bit concerning that this winter despite being mild, numbers at the feeders seem lower with only about a dozen birds present? Maybe they're more spread locally?

We also feed seed all year round for our hungry spuggies. I wonder if a House Sparrow will nest this year? We get as meany as Tree Sparows, but rarely have them nesting....

While doing the boxes I found time to plant three willow rods in the little wood, to fill a gap along the edge....

Oh my knees...

Coltsfoot

In the garden today, part digging the potato bed, then up the ladder cleaning out 6 tree spuggie boxes. These are in particularly awkward spots to fit a ladder so some nimble gymnastics were called for! Clambering on a ladder at a dodgy angle while gripping a branch to stop sliding off, isnt good...Anyway, they're clean now and ready to let...

The lowest and most accessible box...

Not much else seen other than a Grey Wagtail south over head and three Robins in full territorial mode..oh and a Honey Bee sitting out on the moth trap, my first of the year.

 

Three Robins squabbling...