We are lucky in having a large garden and it backs onto footpaths and lots of oak trees.We have one large conifer which we hang lots of feeders on and the noise of birds that comes from that is astounding.My husband makes all our bird boxes and made a large table with a house on for nesting.We have squirrels visiting and the birds and squirrels seem to get on ok.The collared doves are the bravest and will chase magpies off and crows.We have had bees nesting under our shed for the last two years.
Two years ago all the family were here and there was a blackbird ,male, in the garden which appeared to have yellow legs but when we took a photo it had what looked like yellow electrical tape wrapped round its legs.We belong to the RSPB and e mailed them a photo and they said some one must have caught it and marked it to see if it came back or where it went.Cruel we all thought.It wasnt a professional as the RSPB have a list of all the people who do it professionally and they dont use yellow tape!
One day there was an awful bird noise coming from the bottom of the garden and I went to investigate only to find a sparrowhawk had a pigeon on the ground.It escaped thanks to me and a few minutes later when I went indoors the sparrowhawk was back looking round the ground for the pigeon.
We have seen several stag beetles which I have recorded on a web site.They are not uncommon where we live.Always on the ground or in trees.I have heard the noise their antlers make before I have seen them.We had lots of slo worms but they seem to have gone.The garden was totally overgrown when I came here,but we still keep a couple of areas with nettles and foxgloves and have an old tree which has rotted.Very rarely get starlings in the garden tho they roost in our eaves and squabble in the front street.I saw one killed by his compatriots one day,quite put me off them!We have swifts every summer and at least one nests in our eaves altho this year we had two.I have had them miss the eaves and land in my bedroom,not nice,they have stumps where other birds have legs!
On top of all this Kevin my cat lies in the garden surrounded by birds-I swear they know he has 3 legs and is not interested in catching them, or able!I never thought I'd be interested in garden wildlife or gardens!