GOODBYE TO "SWIFT HALF".... Thanks for the memories!

• Anna and I moved to Swift Half (we named it after we realised in the spring of our first year that Swifts nested in the roof each summer) in March 2009 and we leave in September 2011 – two and a half years later, but with three breeding seasons at “Swift Half” under our belt.

• And what a fantastic house and garden we’ve enjoyed. The house is 100 or so years old – the garden used to form part of a fruit orchard – foxes used to pup in the back garden (the earths are still there) and its clear Swifts have nested under the tiles for many years.

• I can’t write in detail about everything we’ve enjoyed at “Swift Half” for the past two and a half years – its all on this blog (pretty-well anyway – at least for the last year and a half), so below is simply a list of some of the things I remember from our time at the wonderful, messy old “Swift Half” and her huge messy, overgrown 120 foot garden.

• Birds in garden / house.

Swifts (of course!) house sparrows and blue tits nesting in house structure all three breeding seasons that we were here.

Robins nesting in decrepit shed.
Blue tits at least initiating nesting in a bird box
Blackbirds nesting all over front and rear garden. One nest successful (out of maybe 6?)
Woodpeckers breeding locally – five young in garden over three breeding seasons.
Pair of song thrushes during the cold winters.
Brambling during cold winter.
Goldfinches (when I fed them, before I realised the area was trich central).
Chaffinches (ditto).
Trich took about at least one sparrow, two greenfinches and a chaffinch in locality – that’s when I stopped feeding any birds apart from tits, jays and woodpeckers. I can clean our feeders, but I can’t guarantee that all the feeders in the neighbourhood gardens are cleaned properly and regularly.
Starlings, dunnocks and house sparrows, blue tits and great tits everywhere.
Jays attracted to the garden (before they were “stolen” by MrT!)
Magpies, stock doves (a pair) woodpigeons and collared doves regular in garden.
Long tailed tits regular in garden.
Wrens nested each year in rear garden – successful for three years straight.
House martins nesting locally – over garden each summer.
Occasional swallow over garden during each of the last three summers.
Grey wagtail at pond once, pied wagtail visiting regularly during last cold winter.
One hawfinch during the summer of 2010.
Then of course the budgie and lovebird – both in the garden (escaped from a collection nearby).
Sparrowhawks (a pair) in or over garden almost every day – at least three successful kills in three years (two blackbirds, one greenfinch).
Chiffchaff, black cap (pair) in garden occasionally.
Heron regular visitor to garden (pond).
Whitethroat (once in rear garden)

Birds over garden –

Egrets (occasional).
Kites (every day).
Peregrine (occasional)
Kestrel (occasional).
Hawks (every day).
Hobby (occasional).
Heron (occasional).
Black headed gulls (every day)
Herring gulls (regular)
LBB gulls (regular)
Green woodpecker (occasional)
Swifts (all summer)
Swallows (occasional)
House Martins (all summer)
Cormorants (occasional)
Common Terns (occasional)
Buzzard (regular)
Hobby (occasional during summer)

Insects of note in garden.

Blue mason bees.
Red mason bees.
Many sp. Mining bees.
Tree bumblebees.
Many other sp. Bumblebees.
Honey bees.
Feather footed flower bees.
Ruby tailed wasp.
Many sp. Ichneumon wasps.
Occasional potter wasps.
Stag beetles (once, summer of 2009).
Elephant Hawk moth (especially 2010).

Hummingbird hawk moth (once, in 2011).
Buff ermine moth.
Ruby Tiger Moth.
Scarlet Tiger Moth.
Buff Arches moth.
Burnished brass moth.
Magpie and small magpie moths.
Dark arches moth.
Old lady moth.
Many sp. Yellow underwing.
Footman moths.
Carpet moths.
Heart and Dart moths.
Drinker moth caterpillars and vapourer moth caterpillars.
Many scalloped oak moths (especially 2011).
Comma butterfly.
Peacock butterfly.
Red admiral butterfly.
Purple hairstreak butterfly (downed in storm).
Small tortoiseshells and eggs on nettles.
Occasional Brimstone.
Brown Argus butterfly.
Painted lady butterflies in huge numbers in 2010 (mass migration to UK in that year).
Many speckled woods and holly blues.
Plenty of common blues (especially 2011).
Black tailed skimmer dragonfly.
Emperor dragonfly.
Common darter dragonfly. (bred in pond).
Migrant Hawker dragonfly.
Brown hawker dragonfly.
Southern Hawker dragonfly.
Broad bodied chaser dragonfly (bred in pond)

Other wee beasties –

Zebra spider, fence post jumping spider, house jumping spider.
Many sp. Wolf spiders and funnel web spiders.
Large house spiders and cellar spiders (in privy).
Leeches, water beetles, back swimmers, water boatman and pond skaters in pond.
Beautiful demoiselle regular in garden.
Large red damselfly regular at pond (especially 2009/10)
Common blue damselfly regular at pond (especially 2009/10)
Blue tailed damselfly regular at pond (especially 2009/2010)

Larger beasties –

Muntjac – in garden at least once.
Fox - bred in neighbours’ garden – regular in garden (especially 2009/10)

Bats – regular over garden (including the white bat of course, made it over our garden in Aug 2011).

Plagued by rats for first year (hardly any since we poisoned them all before getting cats).
Many many woodmice.
Bank voles (Malu caught one in 2011).
Regular half dozen frogs of various sizes.
Dozens of breeding palmate newts in pond (but NO smooth newts).

Two hedgehogs in three years spotted (once both together and a few times separately).

Plants / fungi –

Damson trees,
the wonderful elder and honeysuckle,
pear trees,
brambles,
daffs,
hyacinths,
bell flowers,
yellow corydalis,
toad flax,
honey fungus,
pond plants (lily, marigolds etc…)
herbs and flowers (including corn flowers and sunflowers that Ann bought me for my 40th),
potatoes grown for two years,
wild weeds and shrubs,
thistles and ragwort,
raspberries and blackberries.

• I could write for hours and hours on all the fun Anna and I (especially I guess) have had with the wildlife in our garden and occasionally our house. (Sorry about the bathroom moth trap etc… honey!)
• We’ve been very lucky to have had the use of “Swift Half” and her garden for two and a half years (three springs) – and although we’ve done some good work (cleaned out the swift nest space), re-dug a much more successful pond (dozens of palmate newts loved it after we re-dug it), provided holes in wood for my favourite mason bees and fed the jays and woodpeckers well – much of the wildlife was already here, in the messy, joyful garden!

• I’m sure after we’re gone, the wildlife will remain (even flourish!) although I expect the pond will silt up pretty quickly.

• As for our new house – well…. Its about 10 miles away from “Swift Half”, but the house itself is only just over 55 years old – not 100 years old – so you can imagine, plans are already afoot. (Swifts have NEVER nested there for example – that needs changing!)

• Pond needs digging. Bees need homing and feeding. Bird boxes need building and locating. Plants need digging in. A tree or two needs planting. Nettle patch needs leaving. Compost heap needs forming.

• The garden is relatively large, with good mature trees (apple, poplar, leylandii and a.n.others), plenty of flowers etc… but if I get my way - I’ll turn it into an SSSI – just like the garden at “Swift Half”…… I’ll try to document as much as I can on this blog after a little time off (forgive me!)

• But that’s for the future.

• Right now I’d just like to post a final little message on a super garden here.
• Many thanks “Swift Half” (and all your wildlife and garden) for all the fun you’ve given us.
• I hope your next owners (inhabitants / residents / tenants) appreciate it all even half as much as Anna and I did…. That may be difficult – but you never know!!!
• Thanks “Swift Half”.
• From TBR. Anna. The hens (including Cutlery (RIP)) and the cats. You’ve done us ALL proud!