Garden Wildlife
Every garden is unique, filled with all kinds of plants, shrubs and trees, from the very bold and vibrant colours to the more pastel shades, depending on your own unique preference. If you take time to look past the flowers, plants and shrubs then the garden becomes an even more intriguing and delightful place. Take time to notice the wildlife, from the bees to the butterflies and see the many different species of birds, that come and go, from the Robins to the Wrens. Watch and marvel at them as they go about their daily business.
Your garden is an interesting and fascinating place, bursting at the seams with nature. Stop and take time not only to smell the roses but see what truly makes the garden come alive!!
In the garden (2011) Blackbirds are nesting in the rose arch in the middle of the garden.
We see them coming and going all day long feeding their hungry brood. At the bottom of the patio steps a Song Thrush is nesting in one of the conifers and we have spotted a little Wren sitting on the fence and popping in and out of the conifer just the other side of our fence. Down at the bottom of the garden, by the chickens there are a couple of Robins that pop in the chicken pen every day to steal a bit of free food!! The forsythia on the patio is abundant with Sparrows that nest their every year without fail. When they are in full chorus they sound like naughty kids chattering away in class.
Looks like all the birds have flown the nests, haven't seen them coming and going as of late (3rd July). Plenty of Blackbirds milling around in the trees at the bottom and Robins too. Saw a Thrush digging for worms in the garden today too, wonder if its the same one that was nesting in the conifer. Haven't seen the little Wren for ages.
Seen lots of juvenile birds flying around the garden lately (26th July), seen quite a few Thrush too, which look like young ones. Lots of Sparrows, that come and go for a drink of water out of the water feature. Actually seen lots more birds this year than we ever have, which is nice.
Bird Species
Blackbird - The Male Blackbird is a very striking and handsome looking garden bird, it is completely black with a bright orangey yellow beak and eye ring. The Female is brown often with spots and streaks on her breast. The Blackbird has a mellow song. You can see them all year round.
Nests are built by the female and are usually low down in any suitable cover. Trees, shrubs and climbers are preferred. Their diet consists of insects, worms and berries.
Breeding season starts from early March to late July and chicks can often be found in a nest well into August. During this period Blackbirds rear two or three broods. A normal clutch size is three to five. Blackbirds will establish a territory in the first year which they will hold throughout their lives. When the last brood has fledged, territory boundaries break down. During this period territorial drive is low and many birds feed elsewhere. Territories are re-established in the late autumn and from spring until July are defended against all other Blackbirds.
Song Thrush - The Song Thrush is a familiar and popular garden song bird, whose numbers are seriously on the decline and is globally threatened. The Song Thrush is smaller and browner than the Mistle Thrush, with smaller spottings. Its habit of repeating song phrases easily distinguishes it from singing Blackbirds. Their diet consists of worms fruit and snails, which it breaks into by smashing them against a stone with the flick of its head. They can been seen in trees and bushes all year round.
Breeding season starts from March to August and rear two or three broods. A normal clutch size is three to four with one egg being laid each day. Chicks are fed primarily on worms but slugs caterpillars and fruit can also feature in their diet. Fledged young are often left in the care of the male, while the female prepares for the next nesting effort.
Wren - The Wren is a regular visitor to most gardens and can be seen all year round. It is a tiny brown bird, heavier less slim than the even smaller Gold Crest. It is dumpy, almost rounded with a fine bill, long legs and toes. It has very short wings and a short narrow tail that is sometimes cocked vertically. The Wren has a big voice for such a small bird. Their diet consists of insects and spiders. They can suffer decline through severe, harsh winters.
Robin - The Robin can be seen throughout the year especially at christmas. Easily distinguished from other birds by their bright red breast. Male and females look identical. They can be heard singing all year round.
Nests are usually on or near the ground, in nooks and crannies, climbing plants, hedge banks or any place which has a fully concealed cavitiy. Their diet consits of worms, seeds, fruit and insects. Robins are very territorial and are quick to drive away intruders. In mild winters the Robin starts its courtship in January and birds pair only for the duration of the breeding season.
Breeding season normlly starts from March. Young birds have no red breast, they are spotted with golden brown.
Bees
Bees are found in every habitat on the planet that contains insect-pollinated flowering plants and they play an important role in pollinating flowering plants. They focus on either gathering nector or pollen. Bees gathering nector may accomplish pollination but bees that are deliberately gathering pollen are more efficient pollinators. Bees are very important for our crops, as it is estimated that one third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees. Without the humble bee most arable and horticultural crops couldn't produce a harvest, which would seriously affect our food supply.
Many bees are opportunistic foragers, gathering pollen from a variety of plants, while others gather pollen from only one or a few types of plants. Encourage bees to your garden to play their role in pollinating your plants. They are one of the most important wild pollinators but unfortunetly their numbers have seriously declined in recent decades. To encourage bees to your garden provide flowers throughout the bees life-cycle from March to September. It's a good idea to have at least two nectar or pollne-rich plants in flower at any time during this period.
Help encourage them by chooisng plants that are best suited for attracting bees. Limit the use of insecticides that are toxic to bees and other beneficial pollinators. Here are a few types of flowers to attract bees to your garden:
Spring - Daffodil, Rhododendron, Bluebell, Verburnum, Rosemary, Flowering Cherry and Currant.
Early Summer - Aquilegia, Astilbe, Foxglove, Snapdragon, Thyme, Campanula.
Late Summer - Aster, Cornflower, Dahlia, Lavender, Verbena, Heather, Delphinium, Fuchsia.
Although double flowers may look very attractive, they are of little use to bees, some are bred without male or female parts, while others have so many petals bees can't get to the pollen and nectar to collect it.
Tubular - shaped flowers are favourite feeding places for bees. Flowers such as Foxgloves where the bee is able to climb inside the flower.
Bees prefer to live in gardens, woodlands, orchards, meadows and other areas where flowering plants are abundant. Within their natural habitat bees build nests inside tree cavities and under edges of objects to hide themselves from predators. Natural nesting sites for bees include an unmown grassy mound or a forgotten pile of wood.
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