Garden Friends.

With the promise of some sunshine today I decided to carry out some much needed work in the garden.

The massed bells of Lecucojum vernum (aka 'Spring Snowflake) were dancing in the light breeze.

While I had a break from digging up a patch of lawn the opportunistic Mr Blackbird decided it was a good time to root around for a meal.

He made quick work of locating a number of worms while occasionally stopping to check what I was doing! 

I'm pleased I made the effort earlier in the year to remove many of the large leaves on the Hellebore's which are now putting on a glorious show.

Elsewhere around the garden there is plenty of colour from the miniature Prunus, Hyacinths, Narcissus and Scilla siberica. 

As always the friendly Robin made an appearance. FAB.

No Tail.

Not a very common sight ... a Blackbird with no tail. I took this photo through my mother's kitchen window about a month ago and today she confirmed that this individual is still visiting her garden. So the lack of tail feathers does not appear to be impeding its survival.

All indications are that he is going through his normal post breeding moult but it doesn't explain the total lack of a tail but there is the possibility that one of the local felines might be feeling guilty! 

I'll try to see what shape he is in now when I visit my parents tomorrow.

Linking to:

Wild Bird Wednesday

The Blackbird.

The [Common] Blackbird (Turdus merula), a true thrush,  is one of our commonest garden species. Our resident mature male is easily recognisable in his glossy black coat with orange-yellow bill and eye ring as he regularly uses a high open perch nearby to survey his territory.

Whenever I see him I am often reminded of the initial verses of the nursery rhyme:

  Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye
Four-and-twenty Blackbirds baked in a pie
When the pie was opened the birds begin to sing
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the King.

During the winter he can be heard uttering his quiet sub-song from a hidden perch in an ivy clad tree but once spring arrives his calls become loud and varied.

Throughout the breeding season his song is rich, varied and flute-like, often finishing with a squeaky phrase.












William Henley wrote:

The nightingale has a lyre of gold,
The lark's is a clarion call,
And the blackbird plays but a boxwood flute,
But I love him best of all.

For his song is all of the joy of life,
And we in the mad, spring weather,
We two have listened till he sang
Our hearts and lips together.

If you are unfamiliar with its song that we hear most mornings, starting long before dawn awakens, then please listen to the sonogram below.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday.

Birding between the Bridges.

On another very recent early morning, just as the dawn sunshine was slowly burning off the mist, I was crossing this stile on the edge of Bookham Common.

So if you are happy to continue then why not join me as I go birding between the bridges that straddle the various small streams that meander their way across the common.




The first species to greet me is a male Blackbird giving me a quizzical look as if to say "Why are you here this early?".

As I cross the first bridge, which has recently been restored to cater for vehicle, horse and foot traffic, I hear the hoarse alarm call of a Pheasant from deep within the dense understory vegetation. Way off in the distance there is the repeated call of a Cuckoo while I listen out for other recently returned migrant songsters.

A silent male Blackcap (above) passes by probably on the look out for an early morning snack.

To avoid any early morning dog walkers I move away from the main track where the underfoot conditions are somewhat sticky after the recent rainfall and head for my second bridge crossing.

The tall vegetation nearby provides excellent song and lookout perches for several species including this Chiffchaff with its dark legs .....

and then a very similar looking LBJ, the Willow Warbler (below) with its pale legs.

As I head towards the next crossing point I hear the Cuckoo call again and then catch sight of it flying into the nearby woodland but I wasn't quick enough to grab an in-flight shot. Maybe next time I'll be lucky.

During the last 7-10 days the numbers of Common Whitethroat seeking nesting territories has increased but none of them appear in the open long enough for a photo-call.

Another strident but repetitive songster seen and heard all around the common is the Song Thrush.

At usually one of the wettest areas close to the boundary with the railway line I'm pleased to see that the ditch has been cleaned out so I won't be carrying an extra few pounds of mud home on my walking boots!

A detour into the woods leads me to a recently created 'Play Area' but I'm not in the mood for climbing so I just sit awhile and listen to Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming and Nuthatch calling plus bursts of song from several Wrens.

  Last but not least one of many Robins in full voice and proclaiming its territorial rights. 

I hope you managed to keep up and enjoyed my early morning wander around the common.  FAB.

Linking to Good Fences hosted by TexWisGirl.

Garden and Patch Update.

With the garden starting to wake up with the warmer temperatures I felt it was time to get my hands dirty so I visited to a local Garden Centre at the beginning of the week to purchase some more compost. Typically I couldn't resist perusing the fresh stock of plants on offer and also came away with a mixture of herbaceous and wild flowers including Helenium, Phlox, Veronica, Knautia plus Black Knapweed and Ragged Robin. Later in the week I also succumbed to buying more Lilly bulbs.

  

A voice said "Where are you going to plant all those?". Never fear I'll find room was my response and a few hours later, under the watchful eye of Mr Blackbird, relevant spaces were found, everything planted and most of the bare soil satisfyingly mulched with organic compost.

While I wait for the small specie Tulips and Narcissus to bloom I can currently enjoy these little treasures (below) ... tiny clumps of Scilla siberica spreading freely beneath the Birch at the bottom of the garden.

I have undertaken a couple of patch walks this week at Epsom Common. Still relatively quiet  although a couple of pairs of noisy Canada Geese have taken up residence plus the Teal and Tufted Ducks are still around but preferring to hide in the marginal vegetation. Great Spotted Woodpeckers have been drumming constantly in response to other males as they stake out their respective territories.

In addition to the permanent well weathered Dragonfly; a sculpture erected many year ago on the fringes of the Great Pond; it was good to see the Salix buds bursting open. Five Greylag Geese also made a brief appearance and my first sighting for this year of Chiffchaff (2) singing from their lofty perches. Hopefully it won't be long before I'm listening to the songs of other returning migrants such as Blackcap, Whitethroat and Garden Warbler.  FAB. 

Territorial Songsters.

Over the past few weeks our garden has come alive in many ways; various plants producing new green shoots, clumps of bulbs erupting into colourful displays of blues, whites and yellows; and at least two resident avian species regularly pronouncing their territorial ownerships.

The male Blackbird (Turdus merula) uses an old cherry tree stump as a lookout post to spy for anything lurking below that might be a tasty snack. Whilst there is no evidence of nest building in our garden he can be heard every morning, even before it is light, belting out his unmistakeable rich repertoire from the highest branch.

As in past years a single male Robin (Erithacus rubecula) frequents our garden on a daily basis patiently waiting for me to disturb something edible in the soil when I'm gardening. He's now in his full finery and regularly takes up position in the hawthorn to let any intruders know that this is his territory.

So at last .... Spring is here and the voices are rejoicing.  FAB.

Linking to Nature Notes and Wild Bird Wednesday.

Fences for Plants and Birds.

On one of our garden boundaries we added trellis to increase the height of the wooden fence many, many years ago to provide some extra privacy and to support for the odd pot, plaque and some roses and clematis.

Of course, from time to time, it provides a perch for others including the inquisitive Blackbird.

Linking to GOOD FENCES hosted by TexWisGirl.

Garden Friends.

I feel slightly ashamed to admit that so far this year I haven't spent much time attempting to photograph any birds visiting the garden. One major reason is that until very recently apart from the regular Robin and nesting Blue Tits there has been a distinct lack of activity around the feeders.
However, the recent change in the weather and with species now needing to top up their reserves during the breeding season the situation has dramatically changed.

Collared Dove on sentry duty.

So during a lull in the rain showers today I spent a little time with my garden friends. 

I failed to cut back this long established Clematis montana last year but I recently thinned out all the dead wood so now we can appreciate its delicate blooms while they last. Very close by are a number of feeders but at the moment everyone's favorite appears to be the one containing the suet pellets!

 

After many months with no sightings at all (my fears were that their local nest site had been removed) the House Sparrows have returned. 

During the past few weeks just a single female was seen but today there were several very noisy males and females with their youngsters gorging themselves on the available larder.

Anita told me she had seen several spotty Robins flitting about the Hawthorn but while I was outside only one of the regular adults paid me a welcome visit.

 

Another species now appearing on a daily basis is the greedy Starling. Up to five individuals, all in their glossy coats, dropped in during my time outside. I guess I'll be refilling this feeder now on a daily basis!

Other species seen today but not yet photographed were Goldfinches, Greenfinch, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Ring-necked Parakeet. 

The main small border is starting to brighten up with different Geraniums opening on a daily basis. Iris 'Jane Phillips' is still holding up well and the Astrantia is just showing above the verdant foliage together with the many heads of self seeded Aquilegia 'William Guinness'.

After one of the afternoon showers a very worn out Specked Wood decided to alight on one of the falls of Iris Jane Phillips.

Yesterday a Holly Blue passed through the garden.

A Blackbird walked directly beneath my chair and took the opportunity to pick up any seed that had fallen to the ground amongst the ornamental grasses.

I also spent some time sitting on the raised patio at the end of our small garden surrounded by some of the potted treasures I have nurtured over the years while watching the comings and goings at the nest box in the Birch that provides much needed dappled shade during most of the day. (Watch out for a future post on the nesting Blue Tits).

One of the adult Blue Tits taking a brief break from gleaning small insects from the Hawthorn in the centre of the garden.  FAB.

Lakeside Views.

We arrived back home on Saturday after a relaxing week away to a location just under two hours flying time from the UK plus another hour by road to get to our final destination alongside this very large lake.  

The collage below is just a sample of the numerous images we took that might give you a flavour of our daily strolls beside Lake Garda, Italy.

Whilst this wasn't a wildlife watching holiday most of the species regularly seen were well known to us.

Blackbirds were very tame.

Great Crested Grebes were very numerous and unlike at home fairly approachable.  

 

These Red-Crested Pochard were a common sight almost every day.

Just another hazy view across the lake. I will share more images in some future posts.  FAB.

Linking to OUR WORLD TUESDAY.