What have you seen

Redpoll on our garden niger feeder today. We've had them before, always with the goldfinches and siskins, but never a common bird for us.

Also had brilliant views of a stoat locally, we get plenty of weasels, they love our drystone walls, but stoats are quite rare. Breeding birds beware  .

I am mystified as to why no bird has ever been near our niger feeder. I change the seed regularly but nothing. even though we have goldfinch in the garden, they show no interest in the seed.

Any suggestions why?

Oneput

Are you visiting Red Kite for the purpose of viewing the Osprey, and is the end of May the best time?

We visited in July last year and were lucky that the sitting male had been chased off by a more dominant male so the new brood was later than usual. 

We were wondering if June would be more in line with juvenile feeding and practice flights or end of May.

 BM -  Yes going primarily for Ospreys, was around mid May last year and plenty of  action although young on the Estuary hadnt Fledge.  Fantastic views of fishing at reservoir and incoming with fish from the estuary.  unfortunately we cant go any later.  

I saw something whilst walking with friends today that I do not ever recall seeing before. We were alongside the marshes near Ness on Wirral. We saw a number of lapwings, egrets, herons and other birds. What surprised me was a heron. I am used to their long gliding and flapping flight but this one was riding the thermals and circling higher and higher. At first glance I though that it could not be a heron as it was so high and lazily climbing on the thermals. I have never observed that behaviour before. I did a double check at first because its progress was more like that of a buzzard. 

We were watching 3 hares in the field next to the site at Skybarn Farm cl yesterday evening.

Plenty of birds onsite and nearby at Whisby Nature Reserve.

Our 1st Bluebells seen this year whilst walking near Lechlade on Thames. 

N1805 I think I saw a similar bee type fly to the photo you posted awhile ago. I couldn't find your post but this is a web copy of one I found in our kitchen. I wonder if it was the same?

I am mystified as to why no bird has ever been near our niger feeder. I change the seed regularly but nothing. even though we have goldfinch in the garden, they show no interest in the seed.

Any suggestions why?

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Blue, we've had a similar experience with our feeders. For years, we fed peanuts, in wire feeders, and the birds loved them. Then last winter, they just stopped eating them altogether. Same good quality nuts, same clean feeders. Still plenty of birds, just eating different food, seed mixes, niger, fat balls etc. Oneputt might know why....

Brue   Much better image of Beefly.   Have seen Beeflys today ‘feeding’ on Muscari & Forget Me Nots.  According to www there are many sorts but I think they all feed in the same way. Having said that I have only noticed them in Spring.

Thanks N1805. When I found one in the kitchen I thought it was dead, I picked it up by a wing tip and noticed the long proboscis....then it started moving and I though I was going to get stung but I now know they are harmless. I see they aren't so harmless to bumble bees and wasps as they lay their eggs in solitary bee nests etc and the larvae eat the bee larvae.

They are obviously enjoying the spring nectar on so many early flowers.

I am quite pleased to have learnt something new!