Back Again

I realised the other day that it's over a year since I last wrote my blog!

Memories of the last 12 months are a mixture of outstanding new events and a reassuring repeat of old ones.

Under new events was the sighting, while on holiday near Penzance, Cornwall last October, of a female Peregrine flying in from the sea, passing very close to us and then proceeding to make a pass over a tree, where a second, smaller Peregrine took off and they flew off together.

We assumed they were a pair, although I don't know if Peregrines have long term partners or not?

The winter here was fairly mild, but we still attracted hundreds of Serins & Siskins to the table and ground below, as well as our permanent family of Blue & Great Tits, Nuthatches, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Hawfinches and a single Ring Dove.

The single Ring Dove was sad, as the next door cat took his or her mate, since when there doesn't seem to be a regular mate.

All our summer visitors are back; we've heard but not seen the Golden Oriole, seen Bee-eaters as well as Swallows, Swifts & House Martins.

The Great Tits are raising a family in the old barbecue and in a nest box we placed in a tree.

We had the house exterior walls cleaned last autumn and then painted with an exterior paint that inhibits moss. We also painted all the shutters. Despite all this our bats are back, not in very large numbers, but at least they don't seem to be put off by the paint.

After the painting we put up the nesting tubes for the Red Masonry Bees that my sister had given us and out of some 27 tubes, all but 4 are now filled.

We are toying with the idea of getting a couple of bee hives, if we can find an apiculturist to look after them. I think bees need help at the moment and it would help with the pollination of the vegetables in out patch.

Will write again soon!