It has been sunny but chilly here today, thankfully we have not seen any of the snow which parts of the UK experienced again yesterday.
There is not very much colour in our garden yet due to it being north facing but I took some photos this afternoon of Crocus and Primulas which I think are quite colourful.
The Crocus always seem to do well. Unfortunately I have lost a lot of Daffodils in the last couple of years due I believe to the enormous amount of rainfall which has rotted the bulbs. It seems when planting I may have left a pocket of air between the bottom of the bulbs and the bottom of the holes which then filled with water and consequently rotted the bulbs. I have learnt my lesson and will plant more carefully in future although I must say I have planted many bulbs in the past and not had this problem, but the rainfall in the last couple of years has been exceptional.
Primulas like it in the back garden but don't do so well in the front garden as it doesn't get enough shade.
Of course the Crocus and Primulas were not the only colours in the garden today, I also saw this colourful Goldfinch.
And this Blue Tit.
Considering I was about ninety feet away from this lovely little female Blackcap I think this photo has come out fairly well.
Finally this Starling is showing off it's jewelled plumage.
All photos were taken by me in the garden today.
What a lovely set of pictures. I have been trying to attract Goldfinches for a while but so far they have stayed away although I did see a group of them just four houses away. I have never seen a Black Cap. It is always nice to see what wildlife others get in their gardens.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly has been very wet these past couple of years. I have never seen my back garden underwater so often.There is a lot of clay under the top soil and drainage is slow. Most of my plants are in raised beds or large containers.
For the next lot of bulbs you might dig a deeper hole and put some small gravel or sand in for a bit of drainage.
Happy bird watching, John
Thank you John. In the last few years, along with Greenfinches, Goldfinches are the most commonly seen birds in our garden and always look so colourful and exotic I think.
ReplyDeleteLast year I saw a female Blackcap visit regularly in the late Winter and early Spring and then I didn't see it again until this Winter. This year I have seen two females and two males, I almost got a photo of a male yesterday but he was just too quick for me.
Thank you for your advice concerning the bulbs, I shall certainly try that. I must admit I may have been guilty of not digging the holes deep enough.
Have a good weekend, Jan
beautiful photos shysongbird as for that blackcap oh what I would give.What a little beauty
ReplyDeleteSheila
Thank you Sheila, she really is a little sweetie and I was so pleased to be able to get a photo with my long lens, without that or binoculars I would not have seen what was on the mesh feeding tray as it is a long way from where I was standing. Unfortunately I just missed getting a photo of a male Blackcap in the same spot.
ReplyDeleteSome great photos here. Nice to see some of your garden plants as well as the birds- great stuff
ReplyDeleteThank you Joe, I am certainly enjoying it and looking forward to recording different things as the year moves on.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos again - that blue tit is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI'm always on the lookout for other birds, every sparrow is checked through binoculars or zoom lens just in case it's something more exotic.
Great to see colour appearing in the garden Jan, including the Goldfinch. I had quite a few visitors today but they wouldn't stay still enough for a photocall!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely pictures yet again ShySongbird, and like Sheila the blackcap is on my wishlist thought i'd caught sight of one last week but no show since so i'm guessing I was mistaken - here's hoping mind lol
ReplyDeleteJayne
Hi Steve, Early Birder and Jayne. Thank you all for visiting again.
ReplyDeleteSteve: Thank you, I was pleased to get the Blue Tit as they never stay still for long. I had hoped to get the Blackcap in the same place which obviously is much nearer to where I was standing but was thrilled I even spotted it so far away and that I got a half decent photo.
Early Birder: I love colour and am always so glad to see the end of the dark, dreary days of Winter.
Although I have always had an innate love of Nature I am very new to photography,and bird photography in particular, and as you imply the biggest challenge is having no control over them. I spent a very cold hour and a half one day last week sat on the garden seat with the camera and got nothing at all except for a Blackbird scolding me throughout from an unseen and distant perch!
Jayne: Thank you very much, I feel very privileged to see Blackcaps in the garden. They are such attractive little birds. Do let me know if you see one.
stunning shots :) lovely flower macros too!
ReplyDeleteHi Matt,
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for visiting and for your very generous comments, it means a lot as I am quite new to photography.
Lovely bird photos.......
ReplyDeleteI always put a handful of grit in the bottom of the hole for my bulbs....it really does help......I have a high water table here but my bulbs have all survived....it might be worth a try.....
Spring is not far away.....we have had a cold wind for days, it just won't go away......
Thank you so much for commenting again Cheryl, after following your blog for well over a year and enjoying it so much I really appreciate you visiting. Thank you also for your tip about the bulbs I will certainly try that.
ReplyDeleteIt has been cold and windy here as well, it will be so nice to have the warmth and colour of Spring again.
Gorgeous photos! It certainly does look like spring in your yard!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kallen, unfortunately Spring has not quite arrived here yet, it has been cold and very windy for the last few days....hopefully not too much longer!
ReplyDeleteHi SST. I popped over from Shirls blog to see what is going on in your garden. Love seeing the early spring blooms and of course the beautiful birds.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for visiting Lisa, it's much appreciated. After a few milder days it is still quite cold here but thankfully there are definite signs of Spring.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are wonderful!!! I'll be back for sure to see more.
ReplyDeleteRaingardener, thank you so much for taking the time to visit and for your very generous comment. Please do come back soon.
ReplyDeletelovely blooms and birds photos.
ReplyDeleteHello ! I have just found my way here from Shirl's Gardenwatch. Your crocuses are beautiful and cheery. What a shame about the daffs but the rain of the last two summers has been too much for plants and humans alike :)
ReplyDeleteMarmee, thank you so much for visiting and for the lovely comment.
ReplyDeleteAnna, thank you so much for finding your way here and for your kind words. You are so right about the last two years, I feel we have been waiting for a proper Summer for so long now...maybe this time!
ReplyDelete