ED Nature Watch

[louisemurray]

After all the previous toad spawn died, they are back hard at it again.

[tarafitness]

Quite a few goldfinches around lately, both near the Rye and in my garden :)

[Sue]

louisemurray Wrote:

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> After all the previous toad spawn died, they are

> back hard at it again.

That's good to know, because as far as I can see I have neither spawn nor tadpoles. Though mine was frogspawn.

Two lots just seemed to disappear, and I don't think it was eaten by predators as I thought I had protected the sink pretty carefully.

[Sue]

tarafitness Wrote:

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> Quite a few goldfinches around lately, both near

> the Rye and in my garden :)

Great picture! Lucky you!

[Sue]

The swifts are back!

That's early, isn't it???

[tarafitness]

Yes! I just saw (and obviously heard :-D ) 3 fly over my garden

[Sue]

tarafitness Wrote:

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> Yes! I just saw (and obviously heard :-D ) 3 fly

> over my garden

Maybe the same three I saw!

And ooops, sorry, I just noticed sjsl posted about swifts above 🙄

[Lynne]

A wren hopping about in the bushes by Sainsburys this morning

[BrandNewGuy]

Sue Wrote:

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> The swifts are back!

>

> That's early, isn't it???

My annual update of the day I first hear or see them in our part of the world suggests not :)

2011 ? May 9

2012 ? May 1

2013 ? May 17

2014 ? May 8

2015 ? May 9

2016 ? May 4

2017 ? May 6

2018 ? May 7

2019 ? May 8

2020 ? May 6

2021 - May 9

[Sue]

I stand corrected 😂

[Zig-Zag]

zorya1995 Wrote:

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> Delighted to see nuthatches coming to the feeders

> every day now. They are really cool!

Lucky you. Can I ask what you are feeding them please?

[AylwardS]

A bit later than others but I've jut seen my first swifts over Green Dale Fields, East Dulwich.

[flippit]

Zig-Zag Wrote:

> Lucky you. Can I ask what you are feeding them

> please?

The nuthatches go crazy for mealworms so the RSPB Buggy nibbles is what we use.

Other birds love them also.

We are now starting grow our own worms . See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/feeding-birds/safe-food-for-birds/breed-your-own-mealworms/

[Nigello]

The ? shops on Rye Lane have lots of mealworms, peanuts, seed, fat balls etc. Great value and (mostly, I think) UK made, so a limited amount of transport miles.

[Sue]

Nigello Wrote:

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> The ? shops on Rye Lane have lots of mealworms,

> peanuts, seed, fat balls etc. Great value and

> (mostly, I think) UK made, so a limited amount of

> transport miles.

Both Tesco and Wilko also have stuff like this 🙂

[malumbu]

Poundland great for bird food - and good quality. Otherwise that big pet superstore, or pay a little more at Sainsburys. I mail order tens of kilos of the stuff.

I saw on springwatch that it has been a disaster for blue tits as their food sources are out of sync with the weather. Climate change has already started this (caterpillars are coming out too early as average temps go up). And this spring has been a bit of a disaster due to an extreme April and May I had a clutch of blue tit eggs last year, but think a great tit is nesting there this year.

Pond has suddenly gone crazy. Frogs are back and newts, no tadpoles yet again, having to cut back the foliage to give more space for the amphibians.

On the subject of Springwatch do catch the Peckham wildlife photographer Penny Metal and her love for an amazing number of insects captured a few minutes away from Rye Lane. https://insectinside.me/

[Lynne]

Came out yesterday evening and there were three ducks sitting on the pavement outside. Also two policemen. Not connected, but an equally rare sighting.

[malumbu]

I checked out the great tit's nest and found one unhatched egg. Hopefully they had a big brood and the others survived, rather than laying one and abandoning it. Last year there were two unhatched eggs, a couple of skeletons but the rest would have been successful.

I also saw a blue tit in a neighbour's next box, which was comforting, as they have had a difficult spring.

Bally squirrels have stolen a feeder.

[ED_moots]

We found a nest of honey bees in one of our chimneys last week. They have been coming in our house via the fireplace in big numbers but are very docile and almost dead from exhaustion when they come out. We received lots of advice on how to get rid of them. Here's what we learned:

Honey bees are not protected and can be killed in situ if you use a pesticide approved for use on bees (although the UK doesn't have such a pesticide)

If you kill them you must seal the chimney as other bees will come for the poisoned honey and take it back to their nest.

You should alert local beekeepers if you're going to use pesticide.

If you want to remove the nest and transfer it somewhere else it might mean dismantling your chimney - very expensive.

The solution provdide by Tevja at Bromley pest control is humane and very clever.

He installed a bait hive on the adjacent pot. The bees can exit the original pot but cannot return. The bait hive has larvae in it and the bees with will start to look after them. Sadly it's unlikely the Queen will leave her nest and will starve as she is nit being fed anymore. But the bees in the bait nest can be easily removed in a couple of weeks and a new queen introduced.

[northernexile]

A slight aside, but given this thread is about nature, maybe someone can help.

All today, there has been cutting and shredding off tree growth in St Francis Park.

Its early June. It's prime nesting season and I thought it was borderline illegal to threaten the habitat of wildlife in their prime season of nesting?

It happens every year, what can be done to change this? Do it in October if you must, but early June is absolutely crazy!

[Earl Aelfheah]

ED_moots Wrote:

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> We found a nest of honey bees in one of our

> chimneys last week. They have been coming in our

> house via the fireplace in big numbers but are

> very docile and almost dead from exhaustion when

> they come out. We received lots of advice on how

> to get rid of them. Here's what we learned:

> Honey bees are not protected and can be killed in

> situ if you use a pesticide approved for use on

> bees (although the UK doesn't have such a

> pesticide)

> If you kill them you must seal the chimney as

> other bees will come for the poisoned honey and

> take it back to their nest.

> You should alert local beekeepers if you're going

> to use pesticide.

> If you want to remove the nest and transfer it

> somewhere else it might mean dismantling your

> chimney - very expensive.

>

> The solution provdide by Tevja at Bromley pest

> control is humane and very clever.

>

> He installed a bait hive on the adjacent pot. The

> bees can exit the original pot but cannot return.

> The bait hive has larvae in it and the bees with

> will start to look after them. Sadly it's unlikely

> the Queen will leave her nest and will starve as

> she is nit being fed anymore. But the bees in the

> bait nest can be easily removed in a couple of

> weeks and a new queen introduced.

Interesting (and love the picture!)

[ianr]

> The solution provided by Tevja

> at Bromley pest control is humane

> and very clever.

> He installed a bait hive on

> the adjacent pot. The bees

> can exit the original pot

> but cannot return.

How did he manage to make it a one-way mass evacuation??

[Sue]

I was wondering the same thing!

[IlonaM]

Three Greater Spotted Woodpeckers round for the breakfast feeding of the youngster this morning.

[Nigello]

I have seen more bees (bumble-type) on the pavement, not being able to fly or looking a bit bewildered, this year than ever before. I fed one some honey but don't know what happened to it. Is it too warm for them?