What's buzzing or flying near you 2025 ?

Thanks for your suggestions, I do have a bate box @fairygirl but he is wisely choosing not to use it, I detest having to do it too. I have filled the holes several times but he/they dig them out again.

Yes the feeders are on the tree. I have moved it a bit to a more exposed branch so we will see.

 

Have you tried putting a squirrel baffle over the top of it, so he can't access it from above? Something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/DIVCHI-Squ...d_r=bdeb7711-ead9-4f11-a14b-807ea5556f4a&th=1

I have one of the pole feeder stations and had a rat climbing up to it, so I have a baffle on the pole now.

 

Thanks @Escarpment, I made a squirrel baffle myself with a plastic colander as the squirrel kept taking the lid off the feeder. I think the rat approaches from the base so no way to attach one there.

 

Many thanks @LunarSea and @Escarpment, first time I've seen a moth like that.

 

The problem is - if you still have the bird food out , the rat will prefer that, so you have to take the bird food away first @Friendly . It will just go along any branches you put the feeder on. If it can take the weight of the filled feeder, it can take the weight of the rat.
I was fortunate that I have purpose built cages for the small birds, that no rat could get into, so it was only the ground feeder I had to stop using. There was also only one entrance/exit hole under the shed, so the box could go up against it. It could have got out from under the shed at the other side, but there was no evidence of that. It clearly had it's nest under the shed - nice and dry. I think it was quite a young one, and there was no sign of any others.
It may get to the point where you need to call in the experts, especially if you have neighbours who are affected, and then might complain.

Not sure why there's aline through all the text- must have pressed something by accident!

 

This wee chap [warbler] visits now and again. Clearly something very tasty on the sweet peas.
It's always tricky to get a decent pic [through the window] - he/she always turns away just when I'm about to click...

 

Willow warbler or Chiffchaff perhaps @fairygirl? They flit about so quickly don't they, and as for identifying the eye stripe they don't sit still long enough to see if its pale or bold!!

 

@fairygirl I can't see the legs clearly but they appear pale and the wings (Primaries) look fairly long which suggests Willow Warbler but not 100% certain.

 

Apologies @floralies and @strongylodon. I realise now that my post looked like I was asking for help with an ID! It's definitely the wee willow warbler that's been in a few times recently. I had a couple coming in a while ago too. You helped me with the ID that time strongylodon.
It doesn't have black legs, but yes - difficult to see them properly when they're so quick! I'm not sure we get chiff chaffs round here, but it might be that I've just not seen any. They seem to be quite common throughout the UK, and we have lots of different habitat nearby, so it's certainly possible.
I'd say the stripe at the eye matches willow warbler too, which I'd checked after getting the info here before. We certainly have plenty of water and willow for them round here. Lovely wee things

 

Not seen today but news was released yesterday that the two White Tailed Sea Eagles released from the Isle of Wight relocation project 5 years ago and bonded three years ago, have bred and raised one young eagle which fledged last week, the first in Dorset in 240 years.
A very sensitive site so it was kept quiet all this time.
These are the two, we saw them from a Poole Harbour bird boat trip Sept 23.
Also a mile from me the returning Osprey pair have, amazingly fledged 4 young for the second year.

 

That's great news @strongylodon, also about the Ospreys. The camera broke down early in the season at the nest site at Alyth substation so I gave up attempting to watch. It looks as if it's back now but the three youngsters reared aren't at the nest. It's not far from the time they'd leave to migrate anyway.

 

They dont look happy, do they?

 

They look more like Vultures than Eagles.

 

They reminded me a bit of the vultures in The Jungle Book [which, vocally, were based on The Beatles ] sitting chatting.
I saw 2 rooks yesterday on a lamp post, and that reminded me of that pic, but also the Jungle Book thing.

They're quite common in the north west of Scotland now, on coasts and lochs, and sometimes they're quite troublesome regarding hill sheep. They take a lot of lambs, so many farmers have a difficult time during lambing season.

 

A pair of Peregrine Falcons have nested on the top of the Asda tower in Poole, an apartment block built on top of the supermarket. They have just raised 4 young and another pair raised 3 young at Corfe Castle.
Birds of prey are doing well here with Goshawk and Hobby both breeding in Wareham Forest and Marsh Harriers in Poole Harbour and Weymouth. Kestrel and Buzzard are common breeders too.
I hope to see at least one or two on Saturday during the three hour bird boat cruise around Poole Harbour.