Monday 5th May

Very excited as my friends the Housemartins are back from their long journey from Africa. They don't nest on my house but on a neighbours and they have been visiting the same nest for at least 4 years. I know that Summer is not too far away when they arrive with the promise of at least a few sunny days. I love to sit and watch them and am always amazed by how they zoom onto the nest without any hesitation. They usually have 2 broods and sometimes there can be 6 of them all on the nest at the same time. The nest is the usual cup shape but this one has two cups. My bluetits are still here but seems to have decided to nest somewhere other than the boxes I have. I was very hopeful for a week or two, when they were flying from the apple tree up to the box to inspect it but it seems that it is not their des res sadly. They both still come to visit every day and the female sits and flicks here wings in a most provocative way which makes the male dash to the feeder and bring back a morsel to feed her with. He is forever attacking himself against the french doors or the hut window. I used to worry in case he stunned himself as I could here him banging against the window even when I was in another room. Starlings have nested again as usual in the eves of the house and I am fairly certain some house sparrows are in a tree a couple of doors down. They too visit the garden feeder most days along with some other 'common' birds although a pair of goldfinches have dropped in a couple of times recently.