So as not to disturb the Robin nesting in the Cherry Tree, I have kept out of the back garden for several weeks. Today I ventured into the garden, to check that the nest was vacant. It was, but I have no idea how they did.
What I do know is, the garden was very overgrown, so it was day of mowing and weeding, and remembering to leave several areas untouched and ensuring that there were a few safe havens for the wildlife.
Birds Recorded in and around the back garden:
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch
The now vacant Robins nest in the Cherry tree.
Last year I placed this ceramic teapot in between two branches, surrounded by Ivy. They certainly liked it.
1 Slow-worm (deceased juvenile)
Butterflies Recorded:
1 Large White
1 Holly Blue
Bees Recorded:
Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)
Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria)
Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria)
A Yellow-legged Mining-bee (Andrena flavipes)
Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)
An Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria)
Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)
hoverfly sp.
A Vagrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae)
And a hoverfly sp.
Long-legged fly (Dolichopus popularis)
Not to dissimilar to the Semaphore Fly, this......
.........Long-legged fly is.......
.........Dolichopus popularis with......
.......no common name, but a new fly for my Portland list.
1 Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum)
Just one bug found in the garden, a Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum)
Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
2 Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Here are a couple of..........
..........Dark Bush-crickets (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)
Aircraft Today:
