Nature Notes

[ErrolTheDragon]

There's a gardening thread which may overlap with this one but I thought people might like to share nature sightings as the season changes. What we see if we can get out for a walk, plants coming into leaf and bloom, creatures in the garden, birds flying overhead - whatever.

Yesterday along the canal: busy wrens, 3 butterflies (tortoiseshell I think). Lots of Lords and Ladies arrow-shaped leaves. A little bank of primroses, lots of celandines and some wood anemones. Yellow iris leaves starting to shoot up in the edge of the canal.

We got some pocket binoculars, as neither of us likes carrying our good ones on 'exercise' walks (DH feels like they cut off his carotid hanging round his neck, I find that they swing violently, hanging over my boobs and then they seem to be at a resonant frequency with my stride). Anyway, the little bins enabled us to properly ID a couple of the warblers, there are both reed and sedge. Some of course remained completely hidden even though we could hear them and deduce exactly where they were by the movement of the reeds just a few feet from us.
We also saw, appropriately, a reed bunting. The larger of the duck families now look like young ducks not fluffy ducklings, but there's a new set of tinies further on.

I'm a bit concerned neither of the parent birds have been to the box today. Is that normal? Hope everything is ok

I'm not sure it is normal @Thirstquenching. Keep watching to see if there is any activity today

Last seen activity was late Sunday evening and nothing since. Had a peek last night and 3 are dead and 3 are alive. I've called the sspca and they are going to come out today

that's a shame. I hope the SSPCA can help the remaining 3 chicks

Unfortunately all were dead. Gutted

Oh how sad

Oh no @Thirstquenching, that is such a sad update 😔

What a shame.

I think I've got some bumbles, probably buff tailed, moving into my garden. There's a lot buzzing around the Ivy on my fence, in particular around an overgrown (and I think otherwise unused this year) bird box. They don't seem to mind me getting close.

Another observation... the verge on the road opposite for the first time has a clump of fringecups. I think this is an American species which has started spreading - I've got some which appeared in a shady corner of my garden where nothing much else grows so I've left them. I may regret this, but at the moment easy enough to weed out to stop too much incursion. Im not sure whether they're likely to become an 'invasive alien' in the wild though.

At my local park 😍

I've seen two roe deer today running through the field next to my house and also two jackdaws squabbling with a buzzard.

Can anyone tell me what this is please?

Centaurea - it's in the knapweed/cornflower family.

Flowers spotted in the last few days include sweet rocket, the first of the foxgloves (the ones in my garden aren't out yet, these were on a sunny bank) and guelder rose.

I got a good photo of a bee on an early sunflower a couple of days ago. She was the size of the top joint of my little finger and stayed there for quite a while. Her wings don't look big enough for her! I couldn't figure out what type - quite distinctive with that reddish 'cape', dark body and pale rear end bands.

I’ve been seeing lots of lovely orchids on my walks lately. This one was found on a limestone pavement, which also turned out to be very popular with all sorts of birds. There were wheatears, stonechats, linnets, meadow pipits and some very friendly choughs.

That's a beaut!

Today I had a walk in the next town up, between an eye appointment and my first haircut since February last year. The path by the river had lots of white campion as well as red, and lovely dog roses, plus feral rugosas scenting the air.

And a roe deer crossed a cycle path - a wooded walk area but well within the city.

Up on the limestone, wonderful wildflower meadows which had some orchids in - not sure what type. Some ragged robin down by the mere, dog roses in the woods.
There were loads of blue damsel flies flitting around over the meadows, I've never seen so many before.

Dog roses are flowering here too. It’s weird, but I never noticed how fragrant they are, until this year. May be I’ve just been too busy staring at birds to notice!

Speaking of birds...I went on a lovely walk in one of the woodlands around here. It’s famous for having all kinds of more unusual birds, but most times I visit I count myself lucky if I see more than a dunnock. Anyway, I was in luck this time and saw a pied flycatcher. I’d never seen one before in my life, but my goodness, they are CUTE! 🤩

Dog roses are out here too, as is the honeysuckle. The sparrows are raiding the bird feeders faster than I can see them but alas no blue tit chicks this year.

@Thirstquenching

Can anyone help me identify this please?

Definitely a newt tadpole! Haven’t seen one in years!

Love the photo! I am a big fan of amphibians.

daisiesandbuttercups
Thanks!

I’m seeing more and more juvenile birds show up at my feeders. Earlier this week, there were juvenile goldfinches, today juvenile blue tits. Super cute!

My resident blackbirds have successfully raised two broods so far and they appear to be working on their third. They’re busy birds

I've got some very bright foxgloves and lillies coming out in the garden. The are so colourful they make me smile. When I cut the hedge last weekend I noticed a tiny purple flower growing out of the top of it

I noticed the foxgloves last night, there is a huge bank of them on the road near school. The poppies are starting to flower too. Definitely moving from spring to summer flowers now.

We had a greenfinch at the bird feeder yesterday, but activity is mostly sparrows and jackdaw.