THE BLACK RABBIT: no damselflies

Showing posts with label no damselflies. Show all posts

Friday, 14 May 2010

Carnage in the garden this afternoon as finally Malu (our male kitten, who is now off his uveitus drugs at least temporarily) raided the blackbird nest in the honeysuckle, killing three of the four hatchlings. The fourth I put back (I have no idea why to be honest) and as I type this, the hen is back on the nest, with the sole surviving chick underneath her. I give it zero chance still...
Another buzzard overhead - mobbed by two omnipresent crows.
Couven & Cutlery (our two hens) decide to make their new dust bath in the kittens latrine - we are a little disgusted by that (and will have to watch for parasite transfer I suppose) but hey ho, there you go.
Still no swift eggs or damselflies in the garden.

First Mayfly seen today - no big "hatch" (or "eclosure") yet though -we still have an easterly or north-easterly wind.
No damselflies / demoiselles on Thames yet.

No swift egg in the roof yet - Anna and I have had a little wager on this - I predict May 4th and Anna says May 6th will produce first egg. Anna may be closer to the mark looking at the weather forecast for this weekend!
My red mason bees are incredibly busy filling the bee-post holes with bright yellow pollen, laying eggs and bricking the drilled holes up with mud (lifted from our watered potato patch!) One hole has already been sealed by a red mason bee, three others are stained bright yellow inside and I guess will be sealed soon enough (complete with egg). Slightly worried about the torrential showers forecast for this saturday evening - I'll have to make sure the bee posts are sheltered.
Very low, pale buzzard over the garden this afternoon, mobbed by the sentry crows of course.
Male blackcap (warbler) in the garden yesterday.
No damselflies seen as yet - very late now!
The hen blackbird is back on the nest in the honeysuckle! I'll have a peep over the long bank holiday weekend to see if she's laid more eggs (2 at last count a few days ago - after I thought she'd abandoned).
First Brimstone moth (photo of a brimstone moth at our old gaff) appeared at kitchen window tonight (didn't even set moth trap up!)