Home is where the hole is...

Tree Sparrow feeding young

Everywhere there's a hole, be it in the stone walls of our house, or our nest boxes, there's one creature or another making their home. That's why when the walls of our house were pointed last week, we ensured there was no over zealous application of mortar!

Blue Tit about to meet the world

Jackdaws have young in the gable end of our house, and in one of the nest boxes.

Red-tailed Bumble Bees nesting in the wall

Zebra Spiders hunt amongst the cracks

Red Mason Bee in the wall

Wasp nest in a bird box. Wasps are excellent pest controllers, eating aphids,
 caterpillars etc, so never need to use any chemicals in our garden.

The Small and Mitey

Red-tailed Bumblebee & cargo

Finally, a bumblebee in the garden, rewarding my wildflower bulb planting. A Red-tailed Bumblebee taking nectar from a Grape Hyacinth. Unfortunately it has a few unwelcome stowaways, mites; the little pink things on it's 'neck'.

Goldcrest

A couple of other small visitors today included a Goldcrest, most likely just passing through on its way back to Scandinavia, and my first Willow Warbler of the year.

Willow Warbler

Queen Bee

First queen bee of the spring for my garden - Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius).

And lots of amorous 7-Spot Ladybirds