Swift Half update - 24th March 2011

• Our first female tawny mining bee made its presence known to my eagle eyes this afternoon, after work. The bright ginger bee (the female is unmistakeable when you see one) landed on our patio thirty feet away from me (photo above - click twice to enlarge) and even though I was sitting with a 200mm lens on the canon, (instead of the old Panasonic with the macro filter on) I thought I'd take a shot from distance anyway.


• Our first female feather footed flower bee (photos above, click twice to enlarge) also made an appearance in the garden this afternoon also. My eyes were on bee lookout this afternoon, and I first spotted this wee black beauty (with orange pollen baskets on her rear legs) forty foot away, checking out knot-holes on our decrepit shed. Again, I thought I'd take a few photos anyway. She'll be chased around the garden by half a dozen males from now on - female FFFBs don't half come in from some attention!
• I've not seen any butterflies since that lone red admiral, over 5 weeks ago, even though this week has been more like may, weather-wise. (Bin locked in the office again you see). BUT today, two small coppers (butterflies) chased each other over my head - so thats a first for the garden this year also. The first adult, (flying) small copper seen in the UK this year was only seen 13 days ago actually, in Lincolnshire.


• Malu enjoyed his afternoon post-nap stretch on the patio again (photos above). Malu monster - he's a hoot.
• The damson blossom has suddenly, errrr.... blossomed today - and boy do the newly-emerged bees love it!

Swift half news - 25th April 2010

• Went for a long drive at dawn this morning to give my little car's battery a boost and as soon as I turned her over, the heavens opened for the first time in about a month. We desperately need the rain - I have a feeling April 2010 may go down as the second dryest for a long time (I'm pretty sure April 2007 was the record-breaker - if I remember correctly, we didn't see a cloud for 4 weeks here in central England and the daytime temperature was always around 21c).


• Pear blossom almost over.


• Damson blossom over.


• 11 mason bees in my bee post (including two blue mason bees - male and female).


• Blackbird determined to nest in our honeysuckle, despite both Yala and Malu (our kittens) watching her every move - I'm afraid that nest is almost certainly doomed.


• Damson trees with good leaf growth now.


• I haven't mentioned it yet I don't think, but our robins abandoned their shed nest some time ago (the cats put them off I think) and also their front garden nest I think -sensible robins - they'll find somewhere safer to nest I'm sure.


• I will try to get the video from the swift space in the roof connected to the computer (rather than our portable tv) so any interested parties can watch our swifts 24 hours a day if they so wish. This may take a little time for this technophobe, but please watch this space and be patient!

Swift half news - 10th April 2010

• Damson blossom appears on our garden trees this week
• Marsh marigold blooms appear in pond
• Cuckoo bees find honeysuckle leaves this week
• Red Mason bees investigating shed and walls
• Tadpoles have hatched, but not very active
• Robins have deserted shed nest (thanks to cats probably) and now nesting in front garden
• Heron visiting most days to be mobbed by local crows
• Potatoes planted today in rear (rear) garden
• First mow of lawn today
• First bat of year seen today at 05:30am
• Cutlery finally lays an egg with a shell after two weeks of no-shelled eggs!
• After a week of warm, sunny weather, moth trap set up for first time this year, tonight.