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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44466
Location: yes

Posted: Wed May 07, 25 1:41 pm Post subject:
ps gaia knows best

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16534

Posted: Thu May 08, 25 7:52 am Post subject:

Noticed at least 2 types of bumble bee on the bugle yesterday. One was a carder bee, but not too sure about the other as I am not good on bumble bees. We have had queen bumbles around in the woods for weeks, so assume they have now all found suitable nest sites and are producing.

Heard at least 2 thrushes and saw some blackbirds, and heard them, yesterday. Also heard a woodpacker drumming very close to us. Think it my have been using the dead tree trunk we were standing close to, but with the leaves now out we couldn't see higher up. Walking through clouds of flies and bitey things all the time now. Also saw a female roe deer twice near the same place, so may have a fawn hidden nearby.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44466
Location: yes

Posted: Thu May 08, 25 1:44 pm Post subject:

the daws are now three, mealworms with a convenient perch seem popular, as do pasty crimps , sausages, steak trimming etc

the way to a bird's heart is through its stomach ( there are ttdntas things like that, fluffy and otherwise )
the male blackbird visits for mealworms that are dropped, and realworms that it digs for

sparrows go for seeds and mealworms and hunted invertebrates
the pigeons prefer pastry , seeds , meat, cheese, most things

the water is vital for drinking, but there is a lot of nest life that needs "freshening"
bathing is a good indication they have been nest bound for a while
the next clutch might get the bed of herbs treatment, it has for the last few years, rosemary and lavender are fine bed straw for people, birds probably did it first
i like the idea of a pterodactyl sitting on a nest of fragrant herbs

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44466
Location: yes

Posted: Thu May 08, 25 1:47 pm Post subject:
bee id is complex, i might be able to name and "gender"/"role" a couple of handfuls, most are look it up, or fail when looking it up hundreds just in the uk, some unnamed so far

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 9281
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Thu May 08, 25 6:39 pm Post subject:
Watching a spotted woodpecker pair over this week in Kent....they look decidedly grubby....dusty due to lack of rain?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44466
Location: yes

Posted: Thu May 08, 25 7:14 pm Post subject:
nest worn would be my first thought

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 9281
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Thu May 08, 25 8:56 pm Post subject:
Yes, it looked like they were nesting close by

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16534

Posted: Fri May 09, 25 7:13 am Post subject:
The trouble with woods is that it is difficult to see above the lowest layer of leaves. Sure we have birds nesting, but unless we see them coming out of a particular place, we don't know. We have nest box on the back wall of the house, but it is rather exposed now as all the greenery has gone upward, so don't know if there is anything in there.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44466
Location: yes

Posted: Fri May 09, 25 3:36 pm Post subject:

mealworms. dried. for birds.
amazon is almost forgiven

the most prolific insects round here

silent spring on the little fellas(i know most are gals, some do not need sort of thing)

moths, almost none day or night

ditto butterflies

aphids, folk have tried and failed for decades, something has nailed em

they are base of food chain for loads of critters

throwing mealworms for bats, probably not practical, not seen a bat for a year or more, even then those 3 were the last of a decent size colony

seeing the base of a food chain collapse is a front seat for the 6th

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16534

Posted: Sat May 10, 25 7:11 am Post subject:

Not just lack of food, but lack of nest sites can sometimes cause trouble for bats. I know a roost down the road from the woods was a bat roost and taken down. Hoping to have a bat survey done in the woods again this year. We had one done some years ago and found 6 species in one night. Nothing rare, but showed a healthy population. Have seen quite a lot of butterflies around, but it depends on the year. Last year was wet so probably not going to be so many this year as not so good for breeding last year.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44466
Location: yes

Posted: Sat May 10, 25 11:52 am Post subject:
my lower lip looks like a bad filler job, there was at least one mosquito a couple of nights back

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16534

Posted: Sun May 11, 25 7:32 am Post subject:
Had a cluster of them under our bay tree yesterday and husband and I both got bitten. A matter of course at the moment. Also had a brimstone butterfly round us all day and husband thought he saw a couple of speckled wood butterflies having a fight.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44466
Location: yes

Posted: Sun May 11, 25 3:27 pm Post subject:

, i vaguely remember how to snap birds

the daws are a little shy but calm encouraging words seem to relax them

easier than many people, some folk are easy and work the lens a treat

right now i have 3 daws on my worms, pity i dont have an easy open window, and the glass is less than optical grade
it is a perfect line and lighting for "the bird table", well it is a basic restaurant so two tubes with seeds and worms and a big flat dish of water

another daws during those few lines, 4 at the mo

there are about 60 in the colony

i might need a bigger bag of dried mealworms

they are lots of fun, clever and starting to trust me

4 is having a few squabbles about taking turns and maybe partly about "we trained him, we own him, we go first"

they are one extended family/colony flock

i am unaware of how that works with daws
sparrows and pigeons are not as monogamous as they pretend, if you watch you see things

give me a wee while , i will do show and tell with them

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16534

Posted: Mon May 12, 25 6:30 am Post subject:
We have a bird box on our back wall which at present is rather exposed as no greenery that low. We haven't seen any activity this year, but I was sitting out on the patio yesterday, and there were bluetits trying to go in, but disturbed by my presence, so had to move. Nice to see them in there, but will have to sit elsewhere for now as I think they are feeding young.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44466
Location: yes

Posted: Mon May 12, 25 10:54 am Post subject:

this morning i counted flora spp in the alley, 5 metres linear gives about 15
plus the 5 that grow over the walls from the otherside gardens

chris is brushing and pressure washing the yard, a few mins letting the machine cool has give 2 male blackbirds a chance for an eat all you can worm buffet

2 boys feeding in the same place probably indicates a lack of easy catch worms elsewhere, it has been dry and they are deep unless i water them or move things

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