It was a very strange September in our garden. Bird numbers plummeted mid-month, saving a small fortune in bird food but, overall, a disappointing situation.
Things started OK, with Chiffchaff and Long-tailed Tit showing from time to time. However, a Sparrowhawk was starting to make its presence felt. This, ultimately, resulted in the birds deserting the garden - which, at least, slowed down the predation rate.
Further disruption started on 18th September when heavy machinery moved onto the land behind our garden to start the groundworks for four bungalows being built. This work has now stopped because some clever person designed them so that one of them had a wall and kitchen window just 6 inches (15 cm) from our next-door neighbour's 2 metre high back fence, and omitted to tell him that they'd need to take his fence down and put up scaffolding a metre inside his fence line. He was also told that when they dug the trench for the foundations, his fence would probably collapse into the trench. Naturally, he wasn't impressed, and the negotiations are ongoing!
The downside of this building work from our point of view is that, up until they started, we had up to five Hedgehogs each night coming into our garden through a hole in the back fence. Since the work started we're now only seeing one or two each night. I fear that some of them may have perished.
Three Siskin (females) and a Willow Warbler showed for a while on 16th September, but I didn't get any photos. Nuthatch put in an appearance the following day. Nuthatch and Willow Warbler visited the following week also.
I did get some shots of the Sparrowhawk on 4th September.
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| Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) (male) - our garden |
Fortunately it didn't catch anything on this occasion as we had young Bullfinches around.
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| Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (juvenile) - our garden |
We occasionally see dragonflies flying in our garden but, as we no longer have a pond, they seldom land. However, on 20th September, a female Southern Hawker did land. Unfortunately it was high up in a mature Viburnum. Photography was not great as I had to stand on a stepladder 'no hands' on uneven ground! I shot off a few frames before the wobbles set in.
I went back a little later and it had slewed onto its side.
The next time I looked, it had gone.
We're hoping the building work recommences soon as when it's finished we can settle down and hope to get the wildlife back. In the meantime, fingers are crossed!
Thank you for dropping by. My current thoughts are that my next post will feature a more recent visit to the Kingfishers - I've waited years for them, and may never get another chance like these!
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| Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) (female) - our garden |
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| Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) (female) - our garden |
We're hoping the building work recommences soon as when it's finished we can settle down and hope to get the wildlife back. In the meantime, fingers are crossed!
Thank you for dropping by. My current thoughts are that my next post will feature a more recent visit to the Kingfishers - I've waited years for them, and may never get another chance like these!
