Goldfinches

We are luck to have a lot of goldfinch activity around my garden. One or more pairs always best nearby each year as I witness a lot of territorial behaviour and also observe juvenile goldfinches.

Yesterday I was out in the back garden and was attracted to look up at the houses behind due to a commotion.

Up on the roof were several baby goldfinches calling to the adults.

The juveniles have the coloured cars in their wings but no colourful facial markings.

Today I managed to photgraph a goldfinch on the bird bath in the front garden.

Goldfinches visit the bird bath quite frequently but they are easily disturbed so I was pleased to get these pictures. The pictures were taken through the net curtains which is wht they are a bit foggy looking.

Ant nuptial flight

Black ant mating flight from green house, many did not make it.

In the evening the three main black ants nest had a nuptial flight.

The larger queens leave first and the much smaller males have to fly to catch up. This should mean the fittest male ants catch up with the queens and mate.

The mating flight for the yellow meadow ant nest in the centre of our front garden also took place at the same time.

Male red tailed bumble bees

Several male red tailed bumble bee visiting the mallow just outside our house

The males have the yellow collar, the workers have just the black bodies and red abdomen.

After many attempts of urgent flapping the largest of the herring gull chicks manages several lift off and landing on the chimney where the nest is situated.

One of the adults returns

The constant screeching and flapping has attacted the attention of other nearby herring gulls and a noisy ariel combat takes place.

Eventually all quitens down and gulls retire to their respective roof tops

Grass snake at Lewes Railwat Land Nature Reserve

I had just finished working on a pond education session when I spotted this beautiful grass snake cutting its way through the duck weed.

Herring gull chicks

I have been watching the herring gull nest on the roof behind our house for a while now. Up until now I have only noticed two chicks. Today I saw that there were three chicks.

Butterflies and wasps

There are been several species of butterfly in the garden so far. These include tortoiseshell, comma, red admiral, speckled wood and this holly blue. This the most common of the small blue butterflies that visit urban gardens

I also noticed this strange wasp in the passage down the outside of our house. I have not decided on an ID for this one yet.