The swifts are back

[Suze65]

At 1pm today the swifts arrived back in Salisbury( over my house) scooting about the sky as if they were so happy to be back. Well I am very happy they are back, it genuinely lifts my spirits when I see them, and while sitting in my garden, on a warm sunny day, watching swifts , I'm also enjoying watching all my torts out enjoying the warm sunshine. I have a regular visit from a black bird, he has his daily bath in one of the tortoise water dishes, and a couple of great tits, they keep going round the shed and fence, I think they are collecting spider webs to make their nest. What could be better than all this, not much in my book, except being in Cornwall .

[Gordon]

I had some flying around yesterday afternoon for about an hour but not seen them since maybe they were on route to you Suze. And today I have seen one of the hobbies that nest at the bottom of the garden so the swallows and swifts better be on their guard
I'm sat out in the garden watching my torts aswell life is so hard isn't it.

[Suze65]

Originally Posted by Gordon

I had some flying around yesterday afternoon for about an hour but not seen them since maybe they were on route to you Suze. And today I have seen one of the hobbies that nest at the bottom of the garden so the swallows and swifts better be on their guard
I'm sat out in the garden watching my torts aswell life is so hard isn't it.

Bliss isn't it, watching the wildlife and marvelling at its beauty. I'm surprised I haven't seen any buzzards, on a warm day like this, occasionally I see the a kestrel , they must come over the houses to catch the warm air coming off the roof tops. Being a small town in the country, we do get these birds coming over the town. Have you seen your kind fisher this spring?
I've got a lovely new brick wall down the left side of the garden ( the sunny side) so I'm going to be planting along there for the torts, and it will be a nice warm place for them to bask. So off to the garden centre tomorrow.

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by Suze65

Bliss isn't it, watching the wildlife and marvelling at its beauty. I'm surprised I haven't seen any buzzards, on a warm day like this, occasionally I see the a kestrel , they must come over the houses to catch the warm air coming off the roof tops. Being a small town in the country, we do get these birds coming over the town. Have you seen your kind fisher this spring?
I've got a lovely new brick wall down the left side of the garden ( the sunny side) so I'm going to be planting along there for the torts, and it will be a nice warm place for them to bask. So off to the garden centre tomorrow.

Not seen the kingfisher yet but we do have a couple of little egrets on the pond on a regular basis.
Heard a cuckoo this morning in the distance.

[tortydat]

Lucky you hearing a cuckoo I haven't heard one in years. I just have the war of the robins and the return of the rabbits!

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by tortydat

Lucky you hearing a cuckoo I haven't heard one in years. I just have the war of the robins and the return of the rabbits!

Is hoppy still about

[Suze65]

I did have a Robin , who was a regular visitor in January , so got a bird feeder and Robin food, he kept coming for a few weeks and had the bird feeder all to himself, then just stopped, and I haven't seen him since. He was such a little sweetie .

[tortydat]

Originally Posted by Gordon

Is hoppy still about

No sadly Hoppy didn't come back after the winter

[tortydat]

Originally Posted by Suze65

I did have a Robin , who was a regular visitor in January , so got a bird feeder and Robin food, he kept coming for a few weeks and had the bird feeder all to himself, then just stopped, and I haven't seen him since. He was such a little sweetie .

At the moment we are buying up all the mealworms Pets at Home have as there are three pairs and it is like World War 3. My original one "Robbie" is getting beaten up by a pair of usurpers so I have to protect him! I feed all the others in four different places around the garden and to say thank you they poo in everything from the barbeque to my wellington boots.

[CherryBrandy]

Birds are wonderful aren't they. I rescued a green woodpecker once , on boxing day . I found it in the middle of the road - I didn't realise wood peckers came in different colours and I didnt want it being squished so I placed it in a rabbit hutch as everyone said it was dead but it was knocked out ! and up it sat and flew off after finding itself !
The robins are dive bombing at the moment ! ? they are quite territorial this year, never noticed it before. but wow do they get close to the hair line ! CB