Green Woodpecker feeding on ants
Julia walked out of the back door this afternoon with a jug of water to refill the bird bath. As she did, she disturbed a Green Woodpecker, which was foraging on the arid, tussocky wasteland we call a lawn.
When my parents lived here they saw one in the garden too, but they aren’t a species known for liking gardens and I had resigned myself to never being able to record one for the BTO Survey. We do have them nearby, in the belt of trees about 20 yards from the house, and we have seen them a couple of times (and heard them frequently), but, as I say, they don’t often visit gardens. Having said that, they are on the BTO list of commonly seen garden birds.
We could, if Julia hadn’t gone out with the water, have missed it completely. It is the 22nd species of bird we have seen in the garden since we moved in. I’m sure there are people with more impressive totals, but I’m quite impressed. It was a slow start and it needs some work to improve it a s a wildlife garden, so I am happy so far.
Kites fly over (we aren’t allowed to count them unless they land), there are sparrowhawks about in the area and there must be chaffinches and sparrows (someone has sparrows on their feeders about quarter of a mile away). We’ve also had parakeets flying over. I’m hoping that with time we may eventually persuade them to land and allow us to record a few more types.
Green Woodpecker feeding on the floor
We had a cat yesterday, which is a new one for the Mammals list. This is not such an impressive list – Grey Squirrel, Brown Rat, Rabbit, Domestic Cat. It looks well fed so we are hoping it won’t do too much damage.
We also have ten species of butterfly recorded. I can definitely get a few more in with some extra planting.
We’ve also eaten our own beans, courgettes, tomatoes and rhubarb, which isn’t bad for a few pots. I had intended doing more, but I’ve had a very lazy year. We’ve also had some figs from a tree at Nene Valley Railway and one damson from our own tree. It seems not to have appreciated the move. Julia has also made Lavender bags from our Lavender, and is currently selling them to help with funding the cafe.
I had a blood test this morning and am still waiting for the result (it’s the one for the Warfarin, where they usually ring back in the afternoon. It’s getting a bit late, but I am trying not to worry. The new surgery seems nice – it’s clean and the staff are friendly. The nurse was a bit stand-offish, but they often are. I imagine she will soon start telling me off for not looking after myself. Unfortunately, the impending phone call means I have to carry my phone about, and that, in turn, means that I will carelessly leave it somewhere random as I move around the house. I will be back again on Friday – different blood test for different specialist. I am, so far, giving it an 8 out of 10.
Later, checking my emails, I am told the blood test result is not in. Ah well . . .
Green Woodpecker shots are some I took on the farm.
Greenfinch
The visiting green woodpecker is an impressive addition to your list, Simon. It sounds like all is going well, and you and Julia have a wonderful new home and property.
We are enjoying it here, though the doctor has now caught up with me and I am having regular blood tests.
You are doing very well on the bird visitor front. If you want a kite to drop in, put a little raw mince on the lawn.
Your supply of home grown veg is impressive too. Heaven knows what you could do if you actually have a busy year!
I mentioned this to Julia (I have been thinking of putting some cat food out – hadn’t thought of mince) and she has vetoed it as it might scare the others or tempt the rats to start visiting. On the other hand, she is going to Canada in September. 🙂
We have also been snacking on samphire – not a mainstream crop, I admit, but great for people needing highly salted green veg.
I previously learned about samphire from someone’s blog, perhaps yours. A plant with many uses.
I’ve mentioned it before, I think, but I just use it for eating. Julia bought this from a garden centre and we bought sea salt to water it with. If we travel to the Norfolk coast it is a minor industry and can be bought at garden gates. We eat it for a bit of variety rather than because it is worth the effort. :-).
It is winter here , but even so your variety, in all cases, is very impressive.
I’m happy with he variety, though I was worried when we first moved in.
Lazy year? Oh yeah! Just an odd trip backwards and forwards from Nottingham transporting stuff
Not as many trips as there should have been though . . .
Wonderful that your garden—or yard as we would call it—is a place for wildlife. That’s a nice list of birds.
Our neighbors cats come over regularly. As cat lovers, we don’t mind, but we are always sorry when one gets a chipmunk.
Good luck with the bloodwork.
I’m ambivalent about cats – I like them (we had cats for many years), but too many cats, along with squirrels and magpies, can be a problem. I’m now thinking about introducing chipmunks to the garden . . .
You have better wildlife than we do.
Some creature has gotten into our half barrels where I was growing garlic, and eaten it all. Probably a rodent. The last of the crop was gone yesterday. I checked with Rick, it wasn’t him harvesting it for our dinners. He doesn’t leave dig marks either. 🙂
That’s a nuisance. We have lost various things this year, including the first sowing of beans. Ironically, garlic is supposed to put small animals off, because of the smell.
It is hot, dry and not much food out there now. Someone is pretty hungry.
Yes, and they are treating your garden as a buffet! 🙂
I think I may have discovered a potential suspect last night – a ground squirrel.
Cute but unwelcome. 🙂
Well, we do have visiting cats, too, but after having cats for many years, I’m fairly philosophical about having them in our yard.
In today’s post, there just might be a picture of little winged visitor that you don’t have in England and you’re especially fond of.
I will be over in a moment. 🙂