Latest News
17 Feb 2024Visit to Exe Estuary with RSPB South Somerset group. A rather dull and damp day but some good visibility of birds.
Greenshank seen from the bridge. Little Egret
Solitary Guillemot way out in the estuary A lone Avocet trying to hide behind reeds
22 April 2023
Visit to Ham Wall RSPB reserve - sights and sounds
Whitethroat. Click here for Whitethroat calling
Reed Warbler and Gadwall flying overhead - click Reed Warbler and Gadwall
Reed Warbler and Bittern booming - click Reed Warbler and Bittern
Grass snake swimming
19 Oct 2022
A Trail camera set of clips of the garden showing a badger chasing a fox around the reeds bordering the pond. The badger moves surprisngly quickly and I don't think it's a game! At the end the badger decides he doesn't like being recorded on the camera!
.mp4 clip (16MB)
7 June 2022
Today the field next to us was being mown and the hay collected. This attracted a remarkable collection of raptors - a pair of Kestrels, a Buzzard and a pair of Red Kites. All were no doubt in search of small mammals disturbed by the mowing. This is the first time that Red Kites have been seen here, they are gradually extending their range to the west. An hour or two later the field was occupied by Crows and Jackdaws.
April 2022
Hedgehog caught on trail camera - this is a first in our garden, never seen one before. Click image for video.
February 2022
Snowdrops in our garden
November 2021
Curlews at Exe estuary
July 2021
A burrowing bee at Minsmere RSPB reserve, Suffolk
April 2021
Nest box camera shows Blue Tit on 10 eggs. 6 chicks fledged on about 24 May
March 2021
Egyptian Goose seen at Ham Wall reserve.
A Meadow Pipit - first time seen in the garden, species #72
December 2020
A Christmas Day visit by a Bullfinch.
October 2020
A Field Mouse dashes around at night. Click here for video.
July 2020
A welcome visit from 3 Spotted Flycatchers. Here's one using the post as a vantage point.
Our Barn Owl is back and guarding our vegetable patch! Click for video clip.
May 2020
Another (uninvited) visitor -
Click here to watch video clip.
Are you lookin' at me?
A Clematis has come into bloom but has no label so I have had to search and guess that it is called Haku Ookan, one that originated in Japan. In mid April it came out as a single flower (at left). But now (4 May) each flower has developed into a rather splendid semi double flower (example at right). It has four such flowers. If you know what it is please let me know!
Apr 2020
Easter bunnies!!
A new trail camera has revealed some interesting night time visitors.
Foxy video clip
and click on the image below to see the NEW! video of the Barn Owl which visits regularly in search of - not as I thought - field voles, but just worms!
and here's another clip where the Barn Owl seems to stop and listen to a Tawny Owl calling in the distance.
Feb 2020
The local RSPB group newsletter with my picture of a Great Egret, taken at Ham Wall. Click for larger version
Aug 2019
A Brown Argus butterfly was seen in the garden (on Lavendar) for the first time.
Feb 2019
A Green Woodpecker digs in the snow for food.
July 2018
A Roe Deer decides to check out our garden for something to nibble (apple trees and roses seem to be preferred!)
Update September 2018 - the Roe Deer also likes Rhubarb, Raspberry plants, Azaleas, Clematis, Plum trees, Runner beans and French beans. Suspect they are coming into the garden due to the drought limiting other food sources.
March 2018
Major storm with snow and freezing rain. Here's a view through a patio door where rain has frozen on the outside.
February 2018
Very cold weather brought a pair of Snipe to the garden; here's one feeding on the lawn. And the da
y after in the snow...
BTO officials ringing birds including this Coal Tit at Arne. And a juvenile deer that crossed the path right in front of us.
October 2017
Great White Egret at Ham Wall
May 2017
Guided trip with Naturetrek to the New Forest. Highlights included this insect. It's a quite rare hover fly called Pocota Personata that imitates the look of a bumble bee as a self-defence method, seen here on the bark of a Beech tree.
We were also pleased to see a Cattle Egret being very friendly with some cattle at Keyhaven near Lymington.
March 2017
31 March - Mistle Thrushes nesting in the garden - a first!
Visit to Ham Wall reserve
Glossy Ibis with Little Egret looking on. Great Egret
January 2017 - visit to Greylake reserve
Water Rail
August 2016
Our Moorhen chicks are doing well but here's a broken egg we found in the grass - adults still trying! On 15 August we had a very welcome visit by four Spotted Flycatchers, two adults feeding two young. They stayed for a couple of hours.
This is my wooden model of a Dachshund - do you like it? It's actually a piece of bark from our Eucalyptus tree I found in the grass.
I'm calling it Bark Art (geddit?)
June/July 2016
We found another Wren's nest in the front porch, about 3 young fledged. In June we had a visit from a pair of juvenile Mistle Thrushes amd then on 22 July our resident Moorhens appeared with 5 chicks. We had almost given up this year after they had two failures probably due to predation, but better late than never.
May 2016
A great month for wildlife. Our camera bird box had been used as a roost by a Blue Tit for some time and by 4 May had a nest with 10 eggs. The eggs hatched on 18 May and the chicks are all doing well with both parents feeding them.
In 2010, a pair of Swallows built a nest over our back door and raised young and since then the nest has been abandoned. This month a Wren used it by building its own nest inside and raised at least 3 young. They all left on 28 May and were seen around the patio.
On 31 May we joined a group organised by RSPB to "meet the dormouse" near Swell Wood. We were very lucky to see a pair in a box and to be able to hold them.
April 2016
By the first week in April, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Willow Warbler were present together with Siskins - most unusual. Swallows arrived on 12 April. On 14 April a Blue Tit started a nest in the camera nest box, but at 1 May only used it for roosting. Monitoring continues!
Visit to Yarner Wood in Devon on 23 April - nice views of Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler (below).
March 2016
Siskins have been regular visitors this month, in fact first seen 14 Feb and then nearly every week to the present (4 April). On 27 March on the bird feeder we had six Siskins - try saying that quickly!
October 2015
Last October we had a female Sparrowhawk sitting on the bridge (see below). This year we had a male Sparrowhawk - a smaller and more colourful bird.
August 2015
Insects are the theme this month. First here's the evidence of a leaf cutter bee. The leaf has been used to seal up its nest cell in our bug box.
Here's a Jersey Tiger moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria) - not very inspiring until it flies when it shows a magnificent orange / red inner wing. To see that try the UK moth website page.
and finally a Red Underwing moth (Catocala nupta) that landed on a window, so here's the top and bottom views! And the UK moth website view.
July 2015
Our Moorhens have produced a second brood! We have 5 new chicks and still some of the earlier brood we are calling "teenagers". One of the teenagers regularly helps to feed the new chicks. A Kingfisher has returned a couple of times, whilst the pond protection has limited the impact of the heron, who comes back to check every now and then.
Jun 2015
Gannet feeding just off the beach at Slapton Ley
May 2015
Corn Bunting seen singing at Willoughby Hedge, Wiltshire.
Once again our resident Moorhens have bred. Their first nest was yet again hopelessly exposed and the eggs were taken by a predator, probably a fox. Their second attempt was very hidden and there are now 5 chicks running around.
February 2015 - Heron and friend
Which is the real one?
January 2015 - Squirrel wars
I have been having trouble with squirrels stealing the bird seed but more importantly they end up destroying the feeder itself. I found a website that described using a piece of stove pipe on the pole. I didn't have such a thing, but found a length of plastic waste pipe about 4.5" diameter and 11" long. Supported on the pole by a hose clip, it works very well as you can see in this video clip (.avi format, 4.7MB, 20 seconds).
November 2014
Here is another great crested newt, found on the patio and a bit sleepy. It was
in danger of being squashed or eaten so I moved it to a safe nearby wall. The underside has an impressive pattern.
October 2014
I was a bit surprised to find a Sparrowhawk sitting on the bridge preening and looking around. It stayed for maybe 20 minutes.
But I was even more surprised to see another bird land near it, possibly unaware of the threat. Rushing for the camera I was only able to get a blurred photo just as the other bird flew away.
Yes it's a Kingfisher. Foolhardy or brave? The Sparrowhawk did not give chase.
A baby newt (1.25inch variety!) found under a paving slab was tame enough to let me measure it.
August 2014
The Moorhen chicks can now fly and the adults have left (well earned break?). Migrants on their way back to the south have come through - a family of 4 Willow Warblers and a lone Spotted Flycatcher. Highlight of the month was the return of a Kingfisher, not seen for over 2 years.
July 2014
Our Moorhens have tried nesting twice and the second clutch has produced four young. They grow very rapidly and at 5 weeks old they are nearly as big as the adults. The chicks are also up for a fight, chasing off Blackbirds, Squirrels and Jackdaws!
This year we set up a bug box in the garden and were pleased when mason bees made use of it. We weren't so pleased when the box got almost completely wrecked, probably by a crow or a woodpecker.
June 2014
Who is that knocking at the front door? And it is only 0520 in the morning!
Video (.avi format, 7.6MB, 33sec)
Many dragonflies seen around the pond:- Banded Demoiselle Damselfly (Calopteryx splendens); Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella); Emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator); Broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa); and (in photo below) a Four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata).
May 2014
Ham Wall reserve - sights and sounds.
April 2014
Trip to Brownsea Island with South Somerset RSPB.
February 2014
March of the amphibians! A toad and a common newt together on the patio one evening.
For previous wildlife news see here.