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A
Year in The Garden •
A
Natural History Diary
Fraser S Simpson December 1996.
Introduction
This small, suburban garden, in the town of Kilmarnock in south-west Scotland,
does not look on first impressions like the place to find
much wildlife. However, in 1996 I probably spent more time
taking note of the comings and goings of the birds and beasties
than any other year. Back then I compiled a month-by-month
summary of the highlights. Having recently found these notes,
this seems like a good place to post them. For
more background on the garden click here.
January
The sub-zero temperatures for most of this month followed the heavy snow in
the last week of December 1995. This led to the movement
of more birds into the garden with record numbers towards
the end of the month. A female Goldcrest was recorded
everyday, feeding, surprisingly, on peanuts from both
cage and mesh feeders, bird cakes made from dripping and
suet, and many other scraps including cheese. In any other
year it is an occasional, shy visitor in the conifers. On
the 3rd a Goldfinch, only the second garden record,
visited for around five minutes at 1535h. It appeared suddenly
and fed on peanuts from a large wire cage feeder and departed
as quickly as it had arrived. Greenfinch numbers
climbed from one on the 1st to a record 10 on the 4th, followed
by 11 on the 11th. They fed on peanuts and seed, particularly black
sunflower seeds. Siskins visited in typical numbers
with a peak of five individuals at various times throughout.
Chaffinch numbers averaged around 15-20 birds with
a peak of 25 on the 9th. Numbers of House Sparrows
were low during the snow cover in the last week of the previous
year with just two or three speugs around, but, following the thaw,
seven had returned by the 3rd, followed by 14 on the 9th
and peaking at 32 on the 11th and 26 on the 18th. Starlings
on the other hand were always numerous and dominant at the
food sources, typically when extra feeding was provided
in the form of fat, meat scraps and cheese. Around 30 was
typical with a peak of 40 on the 9th. Following the usual
resident pair of Collared Doves, a second pair arrived
on the 9th and three or four birds were often present throughout
the month. A single Robin was present with occasionally
two from the 18th and up to three Dunnocks were observed
at once during the month.
February
The cold weather continued into February although diurnal temperature were generally
slightly higher than January. There were only a few mornings
with fresh snow. Overall numbers of birds were generally
lower and the Goldcrest departed within the first
few days. The huge national invasion of Waxwings
hit the area around mid-month. A flock of 19 of these exotic-looking
wanderers from the far north were seen just a few hundred
metres from the garden from the 22nd. Would they grace our
garden and provide a new tick? A Song Thrush began
singing from the larch tree later in the month.
March
In contrast, March was a mild month as winter lost it's grip. Numbers dropped
further as the month progressed. The last few Siskins
departed as the pair of Blue Tits began to show more
signs of establishing their territory, chasing the similarly-sized
finches from the peanut feeders. Waxwings (finally!)
visited the garden on the 7th, probably after depleting
the berry stocks in nearby gardens. Fifteen were seen from
1740h until 1800h when they fed mostly from a cotoneaster
shrub in a neighbouring garden (which, strangely, was cut
down a few days later). They were also seen early again
next morning. A Sparrowhawk surprised the Chaffinch
flock feeding on the garage roof on the 19th when it successfully
took one bird and plucked it in the nearby larch. On the
evening of the 23rd, a male Tawny Owl was heard calling
from Dean Castle Country Park approximately half a mile
away, carrying far in the still air. This far north, Lesser
Black-backed Gulls are summer migrants and our annually
visiting pair arrived home much later than normal with one
bird on the 30th - about three weeks later than usual. This
bird, presumably the male, quickly re-established it's
territory on the surrounding rooftops, chasing off any gull
which attempted to take food provided on the garage roof.
The female followed it's mate in returning about a week
later. Single Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were
recorded on the first few warm days as April neared.
 
April
Again there was little rain this month and temperatures were well below
average but there were signs that the breeding season was
under way. Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Song
Thrush, Blackbird and Dunnock could be
heard singing from the garden and the surrounding area.
Dunnock, Starling and House Sparrow
were all observed collecting nesting material from the back
patio. The Blue Tits, which normally begin nest-building
this month, failed to start and were possibly nesting in
a neighbouring garden as they were regular visitors throughout
the month. On the night of the 20th the northerly return passage
of Redwings was evident with many birds heard passing
overhead for several hours. The first Small White
butterfly of the year was observed flitting over the garden
during a warm afternoon on the 28th.
May
May was a much wetter month than April with the diurnal temperatures improving.
Frosts, however, still occurred up until the third week.
A pair of Collared Doves was present in the first
half of May and often perched on the larch tree for long
periods, suggesting that they might nest, but, disappointingly,
they later departed. The disappearance of the female Lesser
Black-backed Gull, with only occasional visits, suggested
that the pair was breeding nearby and in fact these large
gulls use flat-top roofs at several sites down in the town
centre. The first Blackbird brood fledged on the
4th although only one bird survived to independence due
to the fact that people will let their cats wander into
other people's property. A single Mistle Thrush put
in a brief appearance on the 4th but was obviously
keen on pushing on to some other destination. Perhaps a
late migrant individual? Our Starlings nesting under
the roof gutter hatched on the 11th and the noise levels
from the hungry stuckies increased towards the month's end.
The 18th brought a surprise when the Blue Tits were
discovered to be building in the nest box, suggesting they
had been disturbed from an earlier attempt elsewhere or
maybe it was just down to the cold and wet weather of the
spring. Incredibly, they completed the nest in just three
days and the first egg was laid on the 21st. By the 29th
a full clutch of nine eggs had been laid. In previous years
of successful breeding in the garden, the nest has been
constructed at a more leisurely pace over a period of two
to three weeks. The first record of Swift within
the garden occurred on the 27th when two birds flew over
the garage, below the level of the roof. A late female Siskin
visited briefly on the 28th, feeding on the peanut bags
for a few minutes.
June
A very warm period with many days over 20°C and little precipitation. Strong
southerly winds during the first week contributed to a large,
nation-wide influx of Painted Lady butterflies in
what was to become the largest in recorded history.
The 14th provided our first garden record of this stunning
immigrant with another or the same present the following
day. Accompanying them were large numbers of Silver-Y
moths. Lepidoptera continued to dominate the garden wildlife
scene when a Large White emerged on the 6th, followed
by a Green-veined White - an unusual garden visitor
here. A peak of three Large Whites was recorded on the 10th.
The Starlings fledged on the 3rd and over the next
few days the garden was full of hungry House Sparrow
and Starling broods. Up to three Pipistrelle Bats
could be seen most nights, hawking insects around the
large trees. Screaming Swift parties numbered up
to six as the summer solstice approached. Much activity
at the Blue Tits box on the morning of the 12th suggested
that the eggs had hatched and a quick look below the lid
confirmed this. In a more usual year the young would already
have fledged by this time. Of the nine eggs laid, nine successfully
hatched making this the first year that a 100% hatch rate
had occurred!
 
July
On the morning of the 1st the Blue Tits fledged from the nest with nine
young counted leaving the box within a half hour period.
- an amazing 100% success rate for this pair of adult
birds. The family party were present in neighbouring gardens
for the next few hours before disappearing, perhaps to woodland.
The first fresh second brood Small Tortoiseshell
was recorded on the 16th and a single was noted on a few
days throughout the month. A Red Admiral was seen
briefly on the afternoon of the 24th. House Martins
and Swallows could be observed hawking insects in
the sky high above the garden during the month.
August
August was a warm month with most days above 18°C and many nights above 12°C.
While much of the month was cloudy with just a few days
of bright sunshine, there was little rain. Up to three juvenile
Blue Tits fed in the garden from the 1st until the
end of the month, particularly on an old coconut hanging
in the mountain ash trees. Warbler passage was evident on
several days with both Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler
recorded. The morning of the 11th produced an adult Willow
Warbler which departed around midday. Another adult
was heard singing at 0700h on the 14th and was present until
late afternoon. Overnight rain on the 20th may have contributed
to the arrival of two juvenile Chiffchaffs and a
juvenile Willow Warbler which were actively feeding
and flycatching around the garden until late morning. A
single Small Tortoiseshell was recorded most days
with occasionally two until the 24th when a small influx
of up to six appeared along with many Painted Ladies,
Red Admirals and Large Whites. This corresponded
with the thistle flowers in the immediate area beginning
to seed. It was surprising that numbers were not higher
considering their abundance in the surrounding countryside;
490 in fields at the north end of Wardneuk (now
under housing, 2006), 230 at Northcraig Reservoir, 170 along
Kilmaurs Road. One or two Small Whites nectared on
the buddleia throughout the month, even on dull days. The
second record of Green-veined White of the year occurred
on the 24th. The highlight of the month came on the 7th
when a Small Copper was observed basking on the wall
below the buddleia at around 1700h. A new moth was recorded
at 0640h on the 15th when a Scalloped Oak was found
on the front steps. On several nights there signs of wader
passage. On the 7th and 8th, Oystercatcher and Redshank
were heard passing over around midnight as was a Curlew
on the 19th. A Dunnock and Blackbird were
observed bathing in the sun-warmed soil during a brief period
of sunshine on the 21st. A check on the buddleia with a
torch that night saw many moths nectaring on the white flower
heads. Large Yellow Underwing moths numbered eight
and the more restless feeding Silver Y moths numbered
three. A further three moths were not identified. A Robin
returned after the breeding season on the 26th to establish
it's winter territory.
September
In comparison to last month, there was little activity during September. In
general the weather was mild with some very warm days and
little rain. On the evening of the 1st a Robin could
be heard begining it's winter song. The Lesser Black-backed
Gulls were accompanied mid-month with their offspring,
a single juvenile bird, indicating that they had successfully
bred nearby. The first Great Tit of the autumn returned
on the 18th when it was observed feeding on last winter's
old coconut - time to start the winter feeding again soon.
A female Sparrowhawk made a surprise visit on the
24th when it swooped through the garden. The first Chaffinches
and House Sparrows began to flock to the seed at
the end of the month. Single Red Admiral, Painted
Lady, Small White and Large White butterflies
nectared on the last remaining buddleia flower heads throughout
the month.
 
October
October was a very wet and cloudy month although temperatures were around 12-14°C.
although one notably warm day was the 25th at 18°C. The
resident Robin was joined some days by different
birds but they were quickly seen off. These birds may have
been migrants from the continent or possibly just local
birds from neighbouring woodland territories. A pair of
Coal Tits fed in the garden daily from the 3rd. Three
Blue Tits were observed feeding together on
the red mesh peanut bags. Usually two birds were present
at any one time each day. Great Tits were recorded
less regularly with only a single bird on occasional days.
A pair of Collared Doves were regular with three
birds on the 18th and four from the 19th. House Sparrow
numbers increased throughout October with a peak of 42 on
the 19th. Similarly Chaffinches increased from two
on the 1st to five on the 19th and seven on the 30th. In
the surrounding countryside, Redwings were slow to
arrive and large nocturnal passages were not heard over
the garden until the night of the 14th. Large passages were
also noted on the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th. Flocks of up
to 100 passed overhead during these days as well. A Wren
was heard calling at dusk on the 24th. On the 26th a Buzzard
passed leisurely overhead at around 1300h and was possibly
local bird from Moss Wood or Craufurdland. Silver Y
moths were again recorded throughout the month with individuals
buzzing over the garden on mild days with sunshine. Red
Admirals were observed on warmer days with the last
record on the 17th. These individuals nectared on the last
remaining flowers in the garden and basked on sunlit trees.
November
As winter crept in, the penultimate month of the year saw some severe frosts
and snow showers on the 18th, 19th and 21st. Species numbers
increased as a result. Highlight of November was a female
Blackcap which arrived on the 30th and fed in the
company of Chaffinches at the ground-level bird table.
This was the third record and the second consecutive year
for this species. The last one, also a female, stayed for
about three weeks. Magpies returned to feed
in the area with a single bird on the 5th. These crows have
shown a notable increase within urban areas in Kilmarnock
in the last two years. Pied Wagtails came to the
garage roof and patio to feed on small seeds and tiny pieces
of food missed by other species. An adult was present on
the 16th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd and a 1st-winter on the 20th.
A Wren was present on the 20th and fed from the ground-level
bird table, often in the company of two Dunnocks.
The Lesser Black-backed Gulls were last seen on the
10th, leaving to winter perhaps on some Midlands reservoir
or the south coast of the British Isles. Old sandwiches
put out on the 19th attracted nine Black-headed Gulls,
two Common Gulls, a Herring Gull, four Carrion
Crows, a Rook and 33 Starlings. Collared
Dove numbers increased with up to eight different birds
feeding on seed. Peak counts of Chaffinches revealed
and increase from seven on the 1st, 10 on the 19th, 16 on
the 21st and 24 on the 23rd. Greenfinches numbered
two or three throughout. The usual pair of Blue Tits
were present all month with a third on the 28th being quickly
chased off. Two Coal Tits were present most days
although no more Great Tits were seen. A superb Peregrine
was observed passing overhead on the afternoon of the 20th.
December
The first half of December was much milder than last month but it turned severley
cold again mid-month with snow showers in the last week.
The Blackcap remained until the 2nd and during this
time it was observed feeding on small seeds, boiled and
baked potatoes and lard cakes. Five Lapwings flew
low overhead on the morning of the 2nd and a third Blue
Tit was present again briefly before being chased off.
Snow on the 3rd saw a count of 26 Chaffinches and
up to four Greenfinches and hard frosts the following
day produced a count of 45 Starlings. Joining the Collared
Doves were two Feral Pigeons which gorged on
the seed and peanuts. These birds were obviously loft pigeons
judging by their plumage and rings and I wondered if the
Peregrine would pass over again. A Great Tit was
present on the 11th with two Coal Tits and three
Blue Tits. A large passage of Skylarks and
Meadow Pipits was watched overhead. On the morning
of the 12th, 18 Whooper Swans flew over in a south-westerly
direction and could be heard calling long before they were
visible. Redwings were on the move again as the year
drew to a close and many Fieldfares, Skylarks
and Meadow Pipits continued to move south. A pair
of Tawny Owls could be heard calling on still nights from
Dean Country Park. The hard weather around Christmas saw
a peak of 35 Chaffinches, five Greenfinches,
four Blackbirds, two Pied Wagtails, and 40
House Sparrows and twelve months of garden patch
watching were over.
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