twenty

My wife is so house proud, she puts newspaper on the floor under the cuckoo clock.

The tagged Cuckoo from Loch Arklet in Perthshire, that left our shores on June 12th, has now crossed the Sahara, and its latest location is northern Nigeria, 3,685 miles from its departure site.

Yours are probably from a second clutch, usually laid in June/July, hatching from early July, (31 days incubation) Owls start incubating their eggs as soon as they are laid (they do not complete the clutch first), therefore the last chick could be up to two weeks younger than the first, with eggs hatching every 2-3 days and a clutch of 4-6 eggs. ..........the first clutch would have been laid nearby, probably in another nest location,

Lovely picture of beautiful birds.

Former BDO World darts Champion, Andy (the Viking) Fordham, died today, aged 59....RIP.

That's some sort of rainfall they have had isn't it, 158mm in 24hrs !

St Swithins day today (July15th), according to folklore/popular belief, if it rains on St Swithins day, it will rain for 40 days, but if its fair,40 days of fair weather will follow. Well, we have had a lovely day here in the Westcountry.......😉

It's not coming home........But the best team in the Tournament, and this evening, won, I think.

Goldfinches here in the west, not unusual to have 6-10 on the feeders, lots of youngsters as well. Sparrowhawk through the garden yesterday, taking a house sparrow from a clematis bush on the way.

Best team won, but that was not a penalty, surely. Good luck to England in the Final.

You will probably find that you have so many things to do, you'll wonder how you ever fitted work into your life. All the best for the future.

I enjoyed watching that as well, thanks for the heads up, blimey, they produced some brilliant music didn't they.

That's a brilliant breeding outcome from what you say is a small reserve, I assume it has Wardens.......those species need protection from predators and humans. In other bird table news, a Short billed Dowitcher, and a Least tern, both reported today in Cork and Dublin respectively, both are North / Central American visitors.

Don't say it............yet,🤞 🤞

They looked totally in control tonight, didn't they.

How about that then, 4 nil...........fingers crossed eh.

A Honey Buzzard reported in flight near Coaley Peak, South Gloucestershire.

Same as the Bluethroat at WWT Slimbridge, some people have been visiting the grounds daily, and have still to see it, with the amount of cover available to it..........the Baillon's Crake is only the size of a starling, so very slim chances of a view, as you say. All the best.

Great stuff, you are very lucky to have Willow tits on your ground.........a red list bird, of concern. All the best.

A pair of Beavers were introduced to a 6 Hectare (15 acre), enclosure in the Forest of Dean in 2018. See Beavers at Greathough Brook, online, for story.

Good work, It's great to pass on knowledge and tips to youngsters, especially when they show a genuine interest, I always try to pass on snippets of info on wildlife to youngsters when beating, bird identification etc.

Was the nestbox in the picture being used by the Willow tits ? I only ask because they are known to excavate their own nests in rotting treestumps, and would not take an ordinary nestbox, unless it had been filled with a material that the Willow tits can excavate, eg, damp sawdust,

More clues to a Marsh tit in this closer shot, the two tone white/buff cheeks, and the wide black untidy bib...........Willow tits have a wider white cheek panel, and a neater "Goatee" bib.

Most likely to be a Marsh Tit, They frequent mature and semi- mature deciduous woodland, whereas willow tits prefer wet woodlands (alder).........if you can get a close up in the binoculars, the Marsh tit has a white spot on the top mandible of its beak.

Excellent craftmanship, well done.