Nesting & Fledglings.

It's always sad when a nest fail's. This Blackbird nest was beautifully made with a lot of hard work, four eggs were laid, unfortunately a marauding Magpie found the nest and systematically robbed it, eating two of the eggs and carrying of the two remaining eggs minutes later. I never saw the female or the male Blackbird return to the nest again, that was three weeks ago. The nest was built in my Wisteria.

  Click on photo's to enlarge, note the use of modern day Blackbird technology with the use of plastic wrapping and nylon string. The plastic wrapping I suspect is for a bit of waterproofing ?

At this moment in time a Woodpigeon has nested in one of my garden trees and has been sitting there for ten days ( photo below ) It appears  there are no young yet. Also Collared Doves have taken an interest in my Wisteria...you never know.

House sparrows feeding time together.

Woodland Trust - Soken Wood

Information via The Woodland Trust website; 

Soken Wood (Tendring Millennium Wood) Malting Lane, Lower Kirby

(Kirby –Le –Soken).

In order to celebrate the Millennium Tendring District Council in partnership with the Woodland Trust purchased ten acres of arable land at Lower Kirby. The site was planted with a wide range of native broad leaf trees and formed part of the National 'Woods on your doorstep' campaign. In all 8000 trees have been planted on site. Of special interest are the 'prehistoric trees' planted in an arboretum area. These include Dawn Redwood, Tulip tree, Monkey puzzle and Ginko. The wood enjoys

spectacular views over Hamford Water NNR.

                                Easy access via Maltings Lane - open all year.

The welcome gate

Had a  hour walk around Soken Wood, ten minutes walk from my home, how fortunate I am. 

The time was 5:30 - 6:30 pm, still lovely warm and sunny.

     A couple of photos taken on the stroll.

plenty of these...Small White Butterfly

Meadow Brown

and on the home walking passed the allotments this nice Robin reminded me and others to Shut the gate

and to finish the walk off , a young Kestrel sitting on the flag pole.

Family bath time

23rd June 2018

( Click on the photo to enlarge )

House Sparrow family bath time 

 and joined by a friend 

Charlie the guard dog...do you mind that's my water dish !

Greenfinch

22nd June 2018

A couple of Greenfinches have been heard around my area and I have had sightings of at least three, one of which was juvenile. Manged to capture this photo of an adult male.
Hope they use my water feature.

Time to cool off in the warm weather

20th June 2018

Single Goldfinch

Then there were two

Juvenile Dunnock

                       Let's hope there is more to come, a few Butterflies wouldn't go a miss.

Welcome to the Garden Water feature.

 June 2018

Yes welcome !

Now been living in Kirby - le - Soken for nearly six months and still have masses of places still to see. One thing I have installed is a little water feature in a corner of the garden. Here's hoping when it is established it might attract a bit of wildlife.
I intend to try and photograph as many species of wildlife as a record of what visits to use it, as a little oasis.... mainly for me to relax, but as the slogan says ' Let's Give Nature a Home'.


                                                        The Water Feature 

Blackbird first in

                                                           Plash !!!

                                  Now for the dry off

Wrabness Visit

An end of May visit to Wrabness E.W.T Reserve

Wednesday 30th May ( click on photo to enlarge ).

Blackbird with food for his young.

Greenfinches

Pair of Shelducks

I was hoping to get a better photo of a Turtle Dove then this one taken last week.

It was a long way off, but I have not seen a Turtle Dove for years, so it was worth a record shot !

Well the rain did eventually stop !

To the rest of May 

       ( click on photo to enlarge )

Up on the Naze at Walton  4th May

Nest building by Sand Martins as House Martins get interested.

Wheatear above & below.

Happenings in the garden

Moving some rubbish in the garden when this common Frog hopped out on the 15th May,

Nice show of my hanging baskets and the Wisteria...nice for the Bees

I believe this is an Early Bumblebee ( Bombus pratorum).

Built myself a little water feature hoping to attract more wildlife and within three days, birds were splashing about bathing and drinking.

                                       
Holly Blue Butterfly settled for refreshments

                          Noisy Oystercatcher over the garden

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