When you’re not away being a wildlife cameraman there’s no better way of ‘being home’ than pottering around the garden and seeing what’s going on as the seasons progress. Today the house sparrows were taking dry grass under the eaves of our house. I’ve been promising to mend that gap for at least 5 years now, but haven’t had the heart to put an end to a traditional nest site. When upvc has to be called in to the rescue I will put up some proper nest boxes. I’ve always been curious whether they will nest close together here as I have seen them do elsewhere.
Last year and the year before we had leaf cutter bees in the garden taking their characteristic chunks out of the leaves of our roses, then ferrying them to holes in concrete fence post (as well as flying way off across the roof tops). I’m not so good on bees, but this one here (taken on the phone) is almost certainly a queen buff tailed bumble bee. I have another photo of the same insect that shows the tail and its colour much better than this one. So there’s one goal for the year, keep a record of the bees in the garden. You never know what might crop up.
