April wildlife sightings from a garden in Annan

The weather this month has been very mixed - from grey, rain and cold winds to warm sun with just a light breeze. It's no wonder the wildlife doesn't know whether to come out and play or not. Bumble Bees have been sighted flying around the garden, and we have managed to identify early, buff-tailed, white-tailed and red-tailed.

I have found the odd ladybird while weeding but it seems as if most of them are still in hiding.

During the first week of the month, while it was relatively warm at night, we did set the moth trap up. Only 2 moths to record but one of them was a first for our garden.

 

Early Grey

Birds have been busy this month - many of them taking advantage of the sheeps wool we put in an old feeder and hang on the tree. Have seen many sparrows grabbing beakfuls to line their nests. 

I know it's not exactly in our garden but we did see our first swallow of the year over the river in Annan on the 5th of the month. Surely a sign that summer is coming!

The Great Tits have been very industrious. On the 7th, and for a few days thereafter, there was a loud "banging" coming from the nest box. It was so loud it sounded as if they were hammering and making furniture for their new home!

 

 

Then we watched Mrs Great Tit collecting moss from the lawn to line the nest. She went backwards and forwards for 2 days collecting material. Mr didn't seem to be helping with this at all but was around the area all the time.

 

 

On the days it has been dry and warm (!!!!!) we have watched house sparrows having dust baths in next doors' borders. There have been 5-6 at a time and by the time they leave there is quite a hollow in the ground.

Our monthly maximum of birds - seen at the same time - this month is therefore as follows:-

Blackbird - 2 male, 1 female

Blue tit - 2

Carrion crow - 1

Chaffinch - 1 male

Coal tit - 1

Collared dove - 2

Dunnock -2

Goldfinch - 2

Great tit - 2

House sparrow - 23 male, 12 female

Jackdaw -2

Robin - 1

Starling - 20

Woodpigeon - 4

Yellowhammer - 1 male

Perhaps our happiest recording this month was to see a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly around the garden for 2/3 days in the very short sunny spell we experienced.

 

 

DGERC species to look out for in May are the Large Red Damselfly and the Water Vole. Remember to send in a record to Mark at DGERC if you see either of them.

 

Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphuma

The Large Red Damselfly is usually the first of the dragonflies and damselflies to emerge in Spring in Dumfries & Galloway. As it is the only red damselfly found in D&G it is easy to identify! It is widespread and found in most freshwater habitats with slow-moving or still water, including garden ponds.

 

Water Vole Arvicola amphibious

The Water Vole is shy and elusive, often found by looking for burrows, food remains and droppings rather than the creature itself. They float high in the water when swimming.

Nationally they have declined in numbers and distribution in recent years and the status in D&G is understood. Therefore DGERC has teamed up with the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere (GSAB)  staff to run a survey of Water Voles in the Biosphere. The Biosphere includes the Galloway Forest Park, which has a good number of previous records, so survey volunteers will revisit these areas and adjacent areas looking for current evidence of Water Voles. We need more help to survey sites, so if you'd like more information about what's involved please contact DGERC or the GSAB natural heritage officer Wendy Fenton.