Swifts are back!

Just seen the first pair, swooping over the farm fields at the back of us. Last year I spied them on May 7th. The year before it was on the 8th. This year it's the 5th. What wonderful timing.

Swifts

The first swifts appeared in North West London a few days ago but none have made it to Hillingdon yet. Today, I walked down the street they love swooping over, my ears straining for their shrill screams, my eyes scanning the skies for their whizzing flight, but still no sign. I think last year I saw the first ones on 7th May so they still have a few days to go.

I've been sent this super link to a kestrel's nest webcam in Belarus. At first I thought the kezzie had abandoned the nest as the eggs were untended for at least an hour, but mum (or is it dad?) returned in the end and settled back on the clutch. They are an amazing colour, a kind of cochineal red. The nest site looks as if it is in a church tower. What do you think?

http://birdwatch.by/pustalga_brest

Speckled Wood

This Speckled Wood butterfly obligingly waited for me to get the camera and fiddle around with the focus, then just as I was about to take its picture, it flew away, fluttered across the garden, then came back and took up a closer and better pose than its original one. What a star!

The last of the tulips

Took this on Thursday and now the tulip petals have dropped, but the photography manuals are right: a splash of red really makes a photo!



And here's me, making my own splash of colour. And no, I'm not about to become an elderly mum, it's just the baggy dress. It is, it IS!

First ladybird

Yes, it's the first one I've seen this year, looking like a red pimple on the golden face of the marsh marigold.

Bee on spring blossom

It was wonderful to sit on the garden bench on Saturday and hear the bees buzzing, without the roar from Heathrow disturbing the peace!

Chaffinches

Very perky robin.

Male chaffinches.

Female chaffinches.

Female chaffinch with, on left, what I think is a female robin.

I never realised before that chaffinches went about in flocks. There are four pairs currently using the feeders and the females go around in one group and the males in another, just like teenagers. I was really surprised when they appeared. Growing up in Liverpool, we used to get them in the garden. Then they disappeared and the last ones I saw were in my sister's garden in Cumbria so thought they had all gone North!

I also got a lovely shot of a robin on a feeder. These were taken on a zoom lens as the feeders are about 75 ft from the house.