It's all about birds at ECCG

At the end of January, Nicola did the bird count alone, due to Covid-19 restrictions, and this is what she found:

• Robin 3
• bluetit 5
• magpie 2
• woodpigeon 2
• redwing 2
• long tail tit 3
• great tit 1
• crow 1
• jay 2
• blackbird 3
• little egret 1 (at the brook)
• moorhen 2 (at the brook).

She also took some lovely photos of the birds in our garden (including the lovely photo of a tit by our beehouse (further below).

Lileng cleaned out the bird boxes and we moved one box and put up a new one. Last year, we noticed a wren had moved into our insect home, made from two hanging baskets tied together to make a globe. It had built itself the most comfortable looking nest inside.

The bug hotel when it was originally built

The Latin name for the wren ‘troglodytes’ means cave dweller, this is a direct link to its nest, a small domed structure hidden deep inside vegetation, so we are hopeful it will like the new nest site. 

The woven roof completely disintegrated last Autumn so, in order to encourage it back, Lileng  wove a new roof  with our coloured willow.

The nest inside the bug hotel

 

 

Lileng restores the bug hotel

Our solitary bees haven’t been so happy with the birds, though.This tit has eaten the bee cocoons at the open end of two of our bee home tunnels. 

Next year we will have to protect the bees from the tits.

Snow at Empty Common Community Garden

Our volunteer and supporter Ian sent us these photos from the snowy community garden. Snowdrops have appeared, so apt! These early blooms are always a delight. Below is a photo of the raised beds. It has not been a big snowfall, you can see blades of grass peeking out.