June 2011 part 3

On a visit to the nature reserve we were told of sightings of fox cubs so one night we set out to find them.  We walked to were they had been seen and as we rounded the corner the vixen and 2 cubs also rounded the corner at the bottom of a small incline. On spotting us she hissed and they ran away. We backed off down the path from were we came found a log to sit on and waited. After awhile  a small cub appeared on the opposite side of the path, he sniffed around for quite some time until disappearing in the undergrowth.     

Cubs are born in a den and they stay together as a family all summer when the dog foxes leave to find their own territory.
Not only did we see the cubs but a muntjac deer also appeared in the undergrowth.

t

Muntjac (muntiacus reevesi) The smallest British deer with a glossy red/brown summer coat and rounded back.The buck has short antlers and fang-like teeth. Females can give birth every 7 months. They are most often seen at dusk, feeding on grass, brambles, ivy, yew and other plants. The fawns are born with spotted coats which fade by 8 weeks. The male has a territory that includes several does.

June 2011 part 2

The young starlings are still trying to outdo their parents in the noise stakes as they visit the feeder although the parents are feeding them still they are having their first pecks at the food for themselves. In a quiet moment I spot a furry ball on a stick in the tree at the bottom of the garden. I'm pleased to tell you its a fledgling longtailed tit. A family of 5 in all.

The female lays 6-8 eggs that hatch after 15 days. The young fly after 16 days and are fed for a further 2 weeks. They will stay together as a family group.
Four young blue tits join them in the garden as it comes alive with flitting little birds...Magic.

8-10 eggs are brooded for 13-16 days. Both adults feed the young which fledged after 18-21 days.

June 2011 part 1

The white blossom of the pyracantha is out in full promising lots of berries to come. The verges on the side of the road are filled with ox-eye-daisies and the hedgerows blush with pink in parts with wild dog roses. Bramble blossom is also peeking through.

Bramble ( Rubus fruicosus). There are 2000 varieties of bramble or blackberry. According to folklore blackberries should not be eaten after Michaelmas Day (29th Sept).as the devil has spit on them. In truth it is a flesh fly that dribbles as it sucks up their juices. Brambles are home to the shield bug and are mined by the moth Nepticula aurella for its eggs.

Unkempt about the hedges those hedges blows. An English unofficial rose....
                                                                                                    Rupert Brooke
Dog Rose (rosa canina). The ancestor of all our garden roses it is also a valuable medicinal plant providing hips full of vitamin C in its syrup. Called "dog" because it was believed a man bitten by a mad dog could be cured by the roots of the plant.

May 2011 part 13

26th Much needed rain . All the "tits" are very busy collecting food all are looking very scruffy.
27th Marsh Lane reserve woods and my first fledglings - a thrush and blue tits. 2 of the nest boxes are being visited by parents with food, both are greeted with lots of noise from inside. The great tits seem more cautious, taking more time about delivering their food. Whereas the blue tits are zooming in and out at great speed.
2 goldfinch feeding in my garden.
29th At the reserve and my first sightings of the cygnets. 6 in total.

Mute swan with cygnets. Eggs hatch after 36 days. Young feed themselves and will ride on parents backs for protection.
30th More rain fledgling starlings in garden adding to the noise their parents make.

Starlings eggs hatch after 12 -15 days. Young are fed by both parents and will form summer flocks.
3 longtailed tits in the garden, 2 goldfinch also back to feed, robin, blackbird, blue and great tits, pigeon also feeding.
31st  sunny today. Fledgling bluetits in garden, starlings are back and the goldfinch is eating the sunflower hearts.

May 2011 part 12

22nd  On a trip down to Packington Ford  we watched another spectacular flying display from the swallows. A pied wagtail not wanting to be outdone also showed his skill at catching flies on the wing. a pair of Whitethroats are feeding their young in the scrub.

                                                       The happy Whitethroat on the sweeping bough,
                                                       Swayed by the impulse of the gadding wind... John Clare

Three red-legged partridge appear on the garden wall.

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) Found in open fields, woodlands and new gravel workings. They feed on seeds, leaves, and roots of a wide variety of plants. Insects are taken by chicks.