Swift half news - 20th June 2010

• Another beautiful day in the Costa Del West Berkshire, and the first blue-tailed damselfly visitor to the pond. I should point out here that its pretty clear that this year I'm spending less time (than the past two or tree and than I'd like) sitting by the pond, or the bee post, looking for things. Other people are reporting jewel wasps and stag beetles, but not me this time - and normally I'm the first!
• The swiflets are growing well, depsite looking like stubbly, ugly little toads with long stretchy bald necks! As suggested t'other day, we are not expecting any rain for a week, so the onus is on the chicks to keep cool under the hot tiles -food this week won't be a problem and their parents are to-ing and fro-ing regularly with scran as you'll know if you've been following their progress on this site's webcam.



• Our woodpecker family (ies) are doing nicely also - the last to fledge is a real cutey-pie - a fluffball if I've ever seen one, and still has not yet learned to be afraid of humans. He/she landed on the garden hide as I was baiting their post not 6 feet away at dawn this morning!
• Another dead animal in the garden this morning - a woodmouse, half eaten - by Yala I assume.
• Longest day of the year tomorrow - its all downhill from there as those winter nights draw in!!!