UK Nature Blog

Garden birds infographic

Here's a genuinely interesting infographic (all the rage at the moment) about the birds in your garden and feeding them - courtesy of Anglian Home Improvements. Perhaps I should get them to extend my blog sideways so their massive infographic actually fits!

This birdwatching infographic was created by Anglian Home Improvements, click on the image above to find out more about this infographic and its origins #birdwatching

Tawny mining bee - burrowing in your borders

My 2 year old daughter spotted lots of these small, fuzzy orange bees on the newly dug soil in the garden. I identified them (by text message, having been sent the iPhone picture above at work) as Tawny mining bees. These are solitary bees, only about a centimetre long, that burrow in soil and raise their young underground. They are only to be seen March to May, hibernating the rest of the year in their tunnels. Completely harmless, I find them rather charming and it's fascinating the way many of them will suddenly descend on a small patch of soil to set up home - which is what my daughter witnessed.

Xmas images in late March

Here's a sign of our confused climate - a Xmassy image of a robin in the snow, as we near April. This lovely picture is courtesy of Jenny from a "very snowy Castle Douglas". Thanks Jenny.

There's also snow in the UKNB garden here in Hertfordshire, and it's been interesting to see so much bird life in the garden, grateful for the feeders, and much easier to see against a white backdrop and with no leaves on the trees. Mostly it has been chaffinches, goldfinches, great tits, blue tits and plenty of robins.

Nature notes - March 2013

Spring is trying to spring, and I've noticed plenty going on out there.

• Magpies and rooks are particularly noticeable collecting material for their nests.
• Tits are creeping along tree branches picking at the buds looking for insects.
• Birds are singing lustily.
• It remains extremely damp pretty much everywhere. I bet there's a hosepipe ban within a month!
• Herons are nesting in the park.

Spring is thinking about it

Spring may not have sprung but some count the start of March as the start of Spring. Personally I'd say it's thinking about it but isn't sure which coat to wear or whether it needs a hat and gloves.

Something's stirring though. Today I saw a Red Kite and a Buzzard circling over my garden as well as a fox legging it through it and over the fence to next door. Green things are poking their heads up and some daffs have even dared to flower. Roll on double digit temperatures!

 

Winter is here

We can tell that winter has finally arrived because:

• It's extremely cold out
• Pools and puddles of water have taken on a hard, shiny appearance
• Winterwatch has been on tele, though sadly I've mostly missed it
• Snow has happened, with more promised for tomorrow
• This blog has been hibernating, but fear not, the occasional flurry of activity will occur
• The hits for the Fox prints in the snow post have gone through the roof, as they do every winter.

Winter caterpillar

When tidying up the garden in the winter I regularly find these bright green caterpillars. I'm amazed that the hard frosts don't harm their squidgy bodies. This one looks like a sweet, curled up on the top of a Scabious flower head.

Angelic Robin

Regular correspondent Jenny, from Scotland ,sent in this wonderful picture of a tame Robin that eats from her hand and poses beautifully for pictures. I think it's a great shot.

Nature notes - October 2012

It seems as if autumn swept in over just a few days and now the country is transformed. Here are a few things I've noticed recently.

• The feeders are smothered in Goldfinches and Greenfinches.
• Magpies and Jays are much in evidence. Jays in particular always seem to suddenly appear at this time of year, though you had hardly seen them at all for the other months. I've blogged about this before. Twice.
• The trees are showing their autumn colours - some of them are golden yellow already, but the full display is yet to be seen.
• It's raining. A lot.
• Fruit and veg crops didn't fare well with the topsy turvy weather over the year. I read that a famous English vineyard has had to ditch the entire year's grape harvest as it's just no good.
• The garden spiders have mostly had their fun and there aren't quite so many webs to walk into of a morning.

Nature notes - August 2012

Here are a few things I've noticed of late.

• The sun has been shining so butterflies have come out of hiding. Mostly I have seen Ringlet (pictured), Large white (Cabbage white) and Gatekeepers. It's nice to see them flitting around finally.
• Bumble bees seem to have been fine whatever the weather. I have a nest of them under my deck and they're still buzzing in out to the lavender.
• It's been so wet there's been quite a bit of fungus about - I have various types of mushroom growing in my lawn.
• The slugs and snails continue to run rampant. Step out into the garden in the darkness and it can only be described as crunchy/squishy underfoot!
• The birds are back after their summer break (apparently they've been lying low as they moult into new feathers) and are hoovering up the sunflower seeds in my feeders. Mainly tits (Blue, Great, Long-tailed), Goldfinches and sparrows in my garden. Wood pigeons wait for the crumbs on the floor.