What's buzzing or flying near you 2025 ?

You probably feel better for making the contact @cactus_girl and finding out the details on the bird. It's owner was probably surprised to hear about it after all this time too. It sounds to me as if the pigeon was on a trial run as that is quite a short distance, they are normally released to fly from north to south too. My brother who lives in Essex has had pigeons released and return home from as far north as Kelso but there are much longer races than that from time to time.

I don't know about poor pigeon. In the four years he's been astray he's probably had a wonderful time, dropping in on people like yourself to be fed and watered.

Yes, they do like to hear where they have got too, but I bet the humour will be foremost when he tells his club mates.


Racing pigeons fly on an in-built radar - if you get my meaning - and that tunes into the magnetic field which guides them home. It's not unusual for them to lose pigeons in recent decades and interference with the magnetic field has been suggested as a possible issue. No doubt science will discover why this happens eventually.

Meanwhile feeding the pigeon is up to you of course but he/she is likely to stay with you as a food source.

 

Does anybody know what these chubbies are please? They chatter away but T'other Half can't capture them on his app. Thank you in advance.

 

Picture two OH took yesterday a close-up

 

Arriving home Tuesday in the car spotted this bird sat in the trees opposite our bungalow , couldn’t get out the car so quickly took a pic , any ideas not the best OH thinks a young song thrush , which I do pick up on my Merlin app first thing .

 

Would they be swifts or housemartins @Victoria ? I don't know how common they are with you. They look like youngsters. I don't think they're swallows because you'd see the longer tails, but I'm sure someone will correct me if that's wrong - perhaps young swallows' tails are a bit shorter. Easier to see when they're flying!

Not exactly flying - he [Rodney] was just 'sitting enjoying the rain' the other day, and getting a nice wash. Facing one way for a while then turning round. I watched him from the bedroom for quite a long time.

 

I too think House martins are a good possibility @Victoria

 

Grey Heron and Great Egret.




There were four Cattle Egrets at the back of the reserve and stayed almost out of sight.

 

If it's any help @Victoria these are Housemartins.

 

Loads of bees around - the borage is particularly good for them


but they like the chives too

More hoverflies around now too, but no pix. Masses of wasps on the knapweed [in particular] but I have a nest of them beside the shed, so they're obviously very happy!

 

Thank you @fairygirl, @Philippa & @strongylogon. T'other Half got the Merlin app and is trying to identifying our visitors. @Sheal, they look the same, thank you.

 

We’ve spotted Wasps entering under the trowing of our roof of our bungalow next to our conservatory on Wednesday . OH has been spraying around the spot but still there. Noticed more wasps yesterday whilst out and about the last few days , it’s their year by the looks.

 

We have been having a problem with wasps in the kitchen, especially when cooking or eating. They slip in quietly and land on everything. I usually go into a panic. If I can get them onto the window or window sill I spray them with my bleach spray - it's instant knockdown and death.

 

Washing up liquid + water (in a presure spray bootle) will kill them but not the nest unless you can get to the nest and soak it, if you can't get to the nest i use a foam based spray killer and spray alround the entance 2 or 3 times

 

Photographed this little beauty on Thursday, but I did not know what it was; it is a female, common yellow throat. That said, it is not all that common to me, I had never seen one before. Pretty little thing.

 

Nice to have housemartins @Victoria . We don't really get them round here - just swallows, although my sister [across the other side of Scotland] had some nesting at her house.

That looks like one of many types of small bird we get here @hydrogardener - no idea what it is though! A type of warbler [there's a pine warbler] or goldcrest maybe? I'm sure someone will ID it properly for you. Lovely pic