I had a long weekend, this time not due to the virus, but as I had some leave booked, the current situation ensured that I was at home rather than out and about, but there was still plenty to see.
It was rather cold with an, at times, strong east or north-east wind. In my mini-meadow the cowslip are just starting to flower coming to to replace the primrose scattered around under the hedge.
cowslip
This is the fifth year of the meadow and it is really noticeable that lots of the plants are now self-seeding really well, including the cowslips.
My garden is not the greatest for birds, like a lot of people I have been keeping a list of all the species I can see or hear from the garden during the lockdown, so far, with just about one week down, I have reached a rather meagre 34 species, although today I did add red kite, when two flew low overhead. Like many gardens one of the commonest species and one that seems to be present all the time is woodpigeon. Not always a favourite and undoubtedly much more common that it was, they can be quiet entertaining, especially when you watch pairs engaged in their courtship, the males inflating their necks a bobbing up and down.
woodpigeon
One of my highlights has been the brief appearance of first a male and then a pair of house sparrow a rare bird in the garden. I a desperate effort to get them to stay I hastily made and put up a semi-detached house sparrow box. Sadly they were not impressed and I have not seen or heard them since!
House sparrow box, with room for two pairs (perhaps a little optimistic)
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 
Note your comment on sparrows. We have had the pleasure of a group (family) of 5 or 6 regularly on our feeders for most of Feb and March. This past week since lockdown they’ve all disappeared. Perhaps they went looking for a home. Regards Andy
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Hi Bob (and the team),
You’ve done better than me on the number of birds but the starling pair are back at my house and gathering nesting material and generally making a lot of noise. They nest in a hole in the eaves (no boxes involved) and use the defunct security light as a landing and take off pad.
Fortunately I am in the New Forest so I’ve been doing some walks in the more immediate vicinity. Tomorrow, having fixed my bicycle, I will try two wheels given the roads are so quiet.
Keep up the blogging,
Caroline
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Keep them coming
Great
John A
On Mon, 30 Mar 2020, 19:48 Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve, wrote:
> robertc2011 posted: “I had a long weekend, this time not due to the virus, > but as I had some leave booked, the current situation ensured that I was at > home rather than out and about, but there was still plenty to see. It was > rather cold with an, at times, strong east or nort” >
Im afraid your bird house was the equivalent of baking a cake or putting the percolator on to make a place seem more attractive to potential buyers Bob….they saw through your ruse! Considering you “just put it together”, it looks very impressive 😉
Bird box looks great. We have had a blue tit pretending to be a woodpecker who is frantically bashing away at the front hole of our bird box. We think he’s finished now as he’s taken quite a bit of wood out around the hole! Not sure if the hole was particularly small or if he is just a little over weight and on the plumpish side! He/she is rather stout.