Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

November 7

A chilly day with sunny spells.
Goldfinch
Blue Tit, (several)
Dunnock
House Sparrows
Rook(with pied markings, I have seen this individual regularly over the last 6 months.)
Black Headed Gull
Starling
Wood Pigeon
Jackdaw
Strangely there are no Herring Gulls in the vicinity today!

The photo shows a Blue Tit parus ceruleus eating from an apple. Not the best photo but I make a rule of only publishing photos taken in the garden on the day in question. I thought it of interest to my visitors from other countries.
The Goldfinch visited the garden to feed on the seeds from the oversized Leylandii shrubs which have grown to an enormous size. I mention this because they are a shrub not particularly encouraged as they have a habit of dominating a garden blocking out light and not thought to be particularly beneficial to suburban wildlife. I have not found this to be the case as they provide good cover for birds for nesting/roosting and of course the seeds are a good food for Goldfinches.
Later at around 1530 a Carder Bumble Bee Bombus Pascuorum was photographed feeding on the nectar of a winter flowering jasmine by the house.

Phots from earlier in the year.

A lovelly Gatekeeper in the summer.
and a Common Sheid Bug (Larva) Palomina prasina

Tuesday 23 Oct

A very clear bright day with good temperatures and sunshine around.

The usual Dunnock which looks like a female was joined by a cock bird with noticeable slate blue chest, this caused a territorial dispute and the resident drove the intruder away. A single Magpie settled on the roof opposite. One Blue Tit settled in the apple tree and proceeded to chatter away and a Wren could be heard in a nearby garden.
List so far:
2 Dunnock
1 Magpie
2 Crow
1 Herring Gull
2 blackbirds (pair)
A good day for Hoverflies which are attracted to the smell of ivy blossom which is remeniscent of rotting flesh! Two new confirmed species, they areThe Marmalade HoverflyEpisyrphus balteatus (the 2 to the right of 3 pics below.....click on a picture to enlarge it. , and the Lesser Banded Hoverfly Syrphus vitripennis

Also the Drone Fly eristalis tenax described incorrectly on Sunday but now properly identified.

Monday 22 October

A fair day for birds which were:
Magpie (1)
Crow(pair)
Jackdaw(pair)
Starling sveral small flocks
House sparrow (3)
Great Tit (pair)
Black headed gull (1)
Wood Pigeon (flew over at speed towards the city)
Herring Gulls
Blackbird (1 male)
Dunnock

As the conditions were overcast and dull this was not a good day for insects but a Red Admiral flew over without settling, There was a small species of Hoverfly which I saw twice which I am trying to identify from a photo taken on Sunday.

Sunday October 21st

A bright cloudless day with temps in the low 60's. Lots of bees and hoverflies by the upper pond. Birds today:Pied Wagtail Starling Crow, a pair up to mischief on the roof. House sparrow (3), Herring Gull. Dunnock, Rook, Starling,
Several species of Hoverflies were interesting. I have identified them as Didea Fasciata, The Broad Hoverfly (below) although I have to say that mine seems somewhat more tawny than those illustrated elsewhere. The other one may be a Tawny Bumblebee Hoverfly Criorhina berberina but I have my doubts (left) this species fooled me for quite a while, it is such a good mimic that I really did think it a bee until I compared images of it. I have now confirmed this species (on Tuesday 23) to b a Drone Fly Eristalis tenax. Descibed to be such a good bee mimic that photos are often published of this insect descibing it as a bee! The give away of course is the head which is very fly like with the absense of antenae! I have to say that I am very pleased to have made such a discovery and so early into my quest to describe all the wildlife in my suburban garden.
Click on these images on the left here and you will see large pictures, note the pollen on the body of the Drone Fly, no secret as to what it is feeding on and also just how valuable all hoverflies are as pollenators

Saturday 20 October

Today's species:
An overcast dreary damp day that was not ideal for insects such as butterflies and bees etc. which all prefer sunshine to be active.
Dunnock(Hedge Sparrow)
Blue Tit (heard but not observed)

This individual .Dunnockis a bird that I see regularly in my garden very secretive but not really shy.

Wildlife in my garden.

I have always had a fascination with the environment around me and with the aid of my Pentax K110D Digital SLR I aim to catalougue the wildlife that I observe in my garden, and in the case of bird species "from the garden" as they pass overhead. The details of dates and weather will begin as from today but I will also list and add photos of the interesting species that have been observed to date. Species such as the Sparrowhawk, rare insects such as Volucella zonaria a large hornet inmmitating hoverly, slow worms, frogs and toads. The area concerned is just 42 paces long by 15 paces wide and is an example of an urban oasis so important to the wildlife of the United Kingdom. My quest is to inspire more people to appreciate the environment around them and then perhaps take care as the custodian of their own personal wildlife refuge! Click on the RED ADMIRAL image to your right for my lifetime garden list, or the text that wil direct you there. Everytime you see underlined green text then click on it for more information about that species. Go on.......try it! Dont forget to click on this image here for a larger image, it is Volucella Zonaria, UK's largest Hoverfly which visited my garden very briefly in June and I was able to get this great photo. It is a Hornet immitator, and a very striking sight, and we were very fortunate to have it in our garden. This specimen is a female, you can tell by the position of the eyes on the head which are positioned on the side and do not join at the top as they would do in a male.

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