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[purplenanny]

I have just watched about 6 blue tits all taking a bath in our birdbath. First time I have ever seen this, it was beautiful.

Purplenanny x x

[Taz2]

That's such a lovely sight purplenanny. I was just about to post that yesterday we had a flock of long-tailed tits flitting around the garden. We get them in the winter but not normally in the summer. There were around fifteen - difficult to count when they only stay still for a a second - and lots of young birds amongst them. They are such pretty birds. I can only think that due to the wet weather their natural food may be a bit scarce so they are visiting gardens the same as the siskins who are normally winter visitors. They feed on alder cones which close up tight in wet weather and the siskin beaks are not strong enough to prise them open.

Hope your blue tits visit every morning for their bath!

Taz x

[CLKD]

I love long-tailed tits.

Harvest moon is usually full because that's when the atomosphere is 'right' but it's been so hot and dusty this week 

[Taz2]

I'm waiting to see if the goldfinch which flew into the window earlier recovers. He is in a box in the garage in total darkness. I only noticed him by chance when I went out to fill the birdseed. He was laying on his back and I thought he was dead but then noticed a slight twitching. He really shrieked when I picked him up so hopefully he will survive. It was a dove last week. He was spinning around on his back totally helpless and took around an hour to recover his balance. Even when I released him he sat for another thirty minutes in the apple tree until he finally seemed to realise where he was.

Taz x

[CLKD]

The birds are slowly returning ..........

[Taz2]

It must be lovely when they begin to return. Mine never went! They know when they are on to a good thing I reckon. They went very quiet of course and have been less in evidence tending to hide more but they have still been eating me out of house and home.

The goldfinch has flown - it was a young one and hopefully he wont do that again!

Taz  x

[CLKD]

That's great!  So satisfying.

Our garden birds left.  Went.  All was quiet for about 5 weeks and no meal worms were eaten.  yesterday and earlier this morning I heard blue tits and saw a great tit all doing acrobatics, probably trying out their new feathers 

[honeybun]

We have only a few regulars coming at the moment.

The squirrels are making up for an empty garden.

I had a hedgehog in the garden last week. Its the very first time I have seen one and I would love to encourage him back but dont quite know how.

Honeyb
x

[CLKD]

We were sitting by the ponds a couple of weeks ago and could hear noise, it turned out to be a 'hog.  They love cat food 

[Taz2]

He should follow the same route each night Honeyb - they normally have their set paths. Make sure any cat food you put out isn't fishy - it upsets their digestive system very badly.  Also please put down water - they do like an easily accessible drink.

Taz x

[CLKD]

I can hear swifts swooping over the village.

Himself found a wasps' nest this morning  whilst trimming back a shrub.  Fortunately he only got stung 4 times in his head, I made him sit for a while but he's OK.  Fortunately the nest is away from where we need to be so we are able to leave the wasps to do their own thing until the frosts arrive.  It's a beautiful nest and I do so want to tap it 

[honeybun]

If you decide to tap then have your running shoes on.....there could be an Olympic medal involved.

We have had no more wasps in our loft this year. We removed the old nest in the winter and now there is much thicker insulation up there now so it would be difficult to fit a nest in. Actaully there have been few wasps this year.

I do have loads of bees though. It could be to do with planting lots of bee friendly flowers this year.

Honeyb
x

[purplenanny]

I have also had lots more bees in the garden this year, I think it is the lavender plants my sister gave me. I have also seen many more butterflies, which is lovely.

Sadly no finches on my nyger seed feeder though. The blue tits did have a go but have gone back to the other seed feeders now.

4 wasp stings is a lot !! I would hate to have just one!

PN x x

[Taz2]

The blue tits would have given up purplenanny as their beaks are too fat to fit into the little slits in the feeder. Siskins and Goldfinches are the only ones able to access the seed.

Taz x

[purplenanny]

Aww, poor little fat beaks! Shall I put the nyger seeds into the ordinary feeder for them? PN