Garden nature diary: March 2024
March 1
The sparrowhawk is still visiting the garden and having an effect on bird numbers.
March 4
It’s been around for several weeks now and the male sparrowhawk is definitely making the other birds nervous.
Haven’t seen one for a while, so nice to get a pair of stock doves in the garden today.
March 5
Investigating our dog barking in the garden during the hours of darkness led to a hedgehog.
March 6
First common frog spawn of the year in the main pond.
A pair of robins together in the garden.
March 8
Robins chasing each other in the garden as per mating contact rather than two aggressive birds.
Male and female blackbirds in the garden. Mostly the former, is the latter sitting eggs?
March 15
After a week’s holiday, it’s nice to see four lots of common frog spawn now in the main garden pond.
March 19
Two stock doves on the feeding station dish.
First grey heron of the year, flew very low over the garden and home at dusk, heading west.
March 21
First smooth newt of the year, spotted in the main garden pond.
March 22
Pair of goldfinches and greenfinches on the feeding station.
March 25
Haven’t seen one for a while, so nice to watch a great spotted woodpecker feeding on fat balls.
March 25
Nice dawn chorus this morning that kicked off at 4.39 a.m. with a mistle thrush, followed by a robin and several blackbirds.
March 26
Pair of greenfinches on the feeding station.
March 27
A new tick for the year – and a first for the garden – when a red kite flew almost over my home. Coming from the western ridge, it flew to the centre of the valley before heading south.
March 28
For the second day on the bounce, a red kite. Just above our home and very low, mobbed by a carrion crow.
March 29
Peregrine falcon in flight over the centre of the valley, from north to south. A new tick for 2024.
March 30
Red kite still in the area, in flight across the valley, after being spotted earlier over Straits Road by shops.
Common frog tadpoles in main garden.