Sunday 26th. February 2012

Just a quick post to catch up on a few sightings over the weekend . Yesterday , I spent a very pleasant

half hour up on the Common , watching a pair of Long Tailed Tits starting to build their nest . This one has just arrived with some lichen to camouflage the soon to be domed nest . Later , I found a male Hairy-footed Flower Bee in the back garden , on the same Winter Jasmine that the female was photographed on , but he didn't stay long enough for me to get the camera . Once again this morning ,

the male Blackcap visited the Callicarpa bush for his breakfast , the difference being that this time ,

 he brought his lady . I saw the pair firstly from the back bedroom window , and managed a single

shot of the pair through the double glazing , but by the time I got downstairs , the local cat had appeared , and that was the last I saw of the female . Later , I went to help a friend put up some tubes in a woodland with a good under-storey of Hazel , to see if there was a population of Dormice in the area . We will survey the tubes on a regular basis when the animals emerge from hibernation , and if found , wooden nest boxes will replace the tubes . A most enjoyable amble around a woodland surrounded mainly by houses , with the most Honeysuckle I have ever seen , so White Admirals

could feature as well in the future . The only shots I got were of a Tree Creeper who seemed to be

enjoying the mild temperature as it busily looked for food .