| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| << September 2024 | October 2024 | November 2024 >> |
|
|||||||||
1st: Dandelions    |
|||||||||
|
2nd: Activity at the feeding station The birds are beginning to come back to the feeders after a bit of an absence. It's actually good news as it means for the last few weeks, they have been able to find other things to eat, berries and seeds in particular. Just adore seeing them tucking into our seeds, peanuts, mealworms and fat balls. The activity in the garden is increasing too. Had the total joy of watching a goldfinch jump to pin a dandelion stalk to the ground before then tucking into the scores of seeds on the seed head!! What a privilege to have all these beauties on our doorstep.     |
|||||||||
|
3rd: Butterflies in October Didn't expect our first sighting of a comma this year to be October 3rd!! Brings the total butterfly species seen at Cadbury Cottage this year to 13. This week has also seen Painted Ladies and lots of Red Admirals and Large Whites. Need a butterfly count in Sept/ October too - we have seen loads compared to July/ August!! Still, compared to just three years ago when we had Painted Ladies and Tortoiseshells numbering 30/40, number are still very low. We have so many buddleia cuttings ready to plant for next year - here's hoping they do their job!!    |
|||||||||
|
4th: Starlings Not the best photo but it's great to see the starlings back again - we only now get the migrants each winter as opposed to all year round residents (this lot have been around a week or so now) - we'd love that to change but are not optimistic that it will.... And talking of birds: today we left the Merlin App running for 20 minutes whilst we were poo-picking first thing (around 7.30am). It picked up no less than NINETEEN species!! We have seen these species in the garden/ on our land over the years (although some not recently) so feel this 'could' be an accurate. Chaffinch, Wren, Robin, Blue Tit, Crow, Dunnock, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Goldcrest, House Sparrow, Bullfinch, Jackdaw, Song Thrush, Firecrest, Magpie, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Goldfinch. Wow!!  |
|||||||||
5th: Pied Wagtail in the 'pond'!!    |
|||||||||
|
6th: Mushroom in Oak field Fabulous contrast: white against the green  |
|||||||||
|
7th: Definitley getting fuller We have been getting a lot of rain and the water from the roofs has been pouring in.   |
|||||||||
8th: Beautiful male House sparrow in Oak field's bottom hedge |
|||||||||
|
9th: Telephoto and Macro We were a long way off from this rook but very close to the wasp feeding on the ivy!.   |