Kitchen Garden Forum

Out planting more hedging today (up to 450 now) and it was a glorious day in north Dorset. Whilst digging, a swallow flew over and shortly after we heard a cuckoo - spring is definitely here.

Definitely feels like it to me too, but Country File is being cheeky & predicting grass frost & a dip in the temperature! Usual Spring then for us growers!

Not seen any summer migrants up here yet, snow forecast and frosts over the next 10 days!!

There's a red cheek robo been seen in north Wales this weekend ,it was a bit cold for it yesterday but today was ok for him

We have the first chiffchaff here, but willow warblers and blackcaps usually arrive around the 15 April, swallows about 20th and the cuckoo follows on. We used to regularly have two pairs of cuckoo in the village, one each end, but the last few years it's just been one pair. Their eggs are usually laid in meadow pipits' nests at the moor edge.

Two bramblings and a few siskin still here.

A daddy wren is busy building a nest in one of our summer bat boxes! His missus may of course not like the site (and the fact that she has to squeeze through a tiny slot into box!) but it would be lovely to have a wren family to grow up in there.
We also have a new blackbird's nest in the open porch.

First couple of Sand Martins whilst fishing the other day

The year before last I made a strawberry barrel out of a 35 gallon plastic drum I filled it with soil and planted it up I covered it with a netting to stop birds getting at the strawberries I accidentally left a small hole in the netting where a wren managed to get in and build a nest the barrel was right outside the shed were we sit when having a break it didn't bother the wren I don't know how many eggs she laid as I did not want to disturb her but after around six weeks they all fledged

Last Thursday morning we were waiting for a train on Rotherham Station and Christine saw two swallows which seemed very early for here.

Lovely photos Oakridge! Handsome guard dog!

Nice flikr site

Male Osprey by R MAURINS, on Flickr

One of our first summer migrants

Swallow just left the garage, didn't see it yesterday but great to have them back.

Thank you Westi and Tigerburnie for your comments on my flickr pages. We don't manage ospreys here but we do get buzzards.

Marsh Harrier by R MAURINS, on Flickr

Not a great shot as the light was poor and it was miles away