The Great Spotted Woodpecker (latin name – Dendrocopos major) has been drumming away for a few weeks now.
The drumming sound is the Woodpecker trying to attract a mate by vibrating its bill against a branch. We have been wondering what sort of success he was having.
Today we noticed a pile of wood chippings under the old ash tree. Looking up, we saw two very round holes in the trunk.
woodpecker-nest-hole
A cosy hole in a tree trunk is the place where Woodpeckers nest. The nest entrance is always very round, as this photo shows:
Comments Off
robin's-nest
Placing nest boxes in the garden can be very rewarding. Robins like to nest inside a container, like an old kettle or plant pot.
A cheap, woven nest box was put in some ivy on the edge of the kitchen
garden in the middle of February. A piece of tin was placed over the
roof, to keep the rain off.
A robin moved in within a week, and started to build a nest.
robin nest box
This is a photo of the nest inside the new box.
Comments Off
hedgesparrow-chicks
The hedge sparrow that built a nest in the sprouting broccoli has hatched some chicks. In spite of picking the sprouting broccoli every day, the hedge sparrow sat tight and in a couple of weeks five chicks hatched out.
The parents are getting busier and busier feeding the chicks as they grow, and their appetites increase.
nest-of-hedgesparrow
The broccoli was ready to harvest in February. It was a welcome change from brussel sprouts which had been providing greens throughout the winter.
The nest is now a problem as it is delaying the soil preparation for the courgettes!
chicks-in-broccoli
Bird Table News has information on nesting birds.
The GreatBigVegetableChallenge has 4 great broccoli recipes.
The TopVeg hedge sparrow, which hatched chicks in broccoli, is quite special.
Comments Off
