Magpie mobbing

I was watching a fledgling songthrush (pictured) when it suddenly ran into the long grass for cover and I could hear blackbird alarm calls. The cause was a magpie in the vicinity. I walked over to where the magpie was, to find it being mobbed by the thrush parent plus two blackbirds in a concerted attack. It was just about standing its ground but my appearance tipped the balance and it went away to find easier prey. I was just intrigued to see a joint attack by two different, albeit closely related, species

Ducklings!

We arrived home after a weekend away to find the first ducklings of the season - twelve ducklings that look a couple of days old rather than newly hatched. There is a drake on duty but also a drake that the female is not happy to have around and there have been some mallard fisticuffs as she and the preferred drake chase him away. The ducklings are at the flycatching phase and that is one of my favourite sights as they paddle like mad and stretch their necks trying to gobble up small flies flying just above the water.

Newts

I have only once seen a newt in the moat before yesterday when I came across two together swimming around a floating reed. I have been surprised that I haven't seen them more often. I think they were common newts but I can't be certain as the size and other features were not easy to see whilst they were under water.

Bee Identification

Not at all easy I find but I had a go today when I found separately two dead bees in the garden. I am pretty sure one is a social bumblebee and one a cuckoo bumblebee but I don't feel confident I have nailed down the species in either case. I think the social bumblebee (on the left above) is either Bombus pratorum or Bombus terrestris. The cuckoo bumblebee (so named because they steal the nests and worker bees of social bumblebees)looks like it is either Bombus bohemicus or Bombus vestalis. Thanks to Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner who wrote the Field Guide to Bumblebees used to try and ID these bees

Ducklings expected

There is plenty of mallard activity including at least two pairs around the moat. The social life of mallards is complex so I am not always up to speed with the situation and sometimes the ducklings arrival is unexpected. Today two males were sleeping on the lawn. I am not sure whether they are two expectant fathers killing time whilst their mates are on the nest or just two stray males hanging out. In any case I am hopeful of some ducklings , if not this month then early in May.

Sticklebacks

I saw some sticklebacks in the moat yesterday. Hopefully the kingfisher will also spot them and go back to the daily visits that are so good to watch. My last sighting of a kingfisher was last September so we are overdue a visit.