Thursday, 25 April 2013

Signs of Spring!

At last! Spring is here, or at least its having a jolly good go.... The damson and pear trees are in blossom, and the apples and blueberries soon will be.
Sand Martins are flying up and down the river, and there's a few house martins and swallows as well.

The last of the winter crops still in the allotment are some leeks, the last of the parsnips we have let go to seed for next year. This patch is going to be brassicas this year and there's already some overwintered cabbage and lettuce in. 

The second patch, which was peas and beans last year, is now onions and garlic, and there will be carrots to sow soon. There's japanese (overwintered) onions and overwintered garlic and there's more onion sets coming on.

The third patch is the fruit bushes and I really need to pull some of the rhubarb.

Next down is peas and beans, with some overwintered broad beans setting flowers already and plenty of peas in. On the edge of this patch is hopefully an asparagus bed but there's no signs of life yet.

Last patch is potatoes this year, 4 rows in so far, at weekly intervals.

Saturday, 6 April 2013

Birds in the Allotment

One of my hobbies is birdwatching, and over the time we have had the allotment, the variety of birds either in or flying over the allotment has been considerable.

In the allotments

Linnet                            Blue Tit
Goldfinch                       Great Tit
Chaffinch                       Coal Tit
Greenfinch                     Long Tailed Tit
Bullfinch                        Dunnock
House Sparrow             Robin
Carrion Crow                Rook
Jackdaw                       Collared Dove
Woodpigeon                 Sparrowhawk
Common Gull                Black-Headed Gull
Mistle Thrush                Song Thrush
Redwing                       Blackbird
Starling                         Tree Sparrow
Magpie                         Wren
Chiffchaff                      Pied Wagtail
Yellowhammer

Over the allotments

Peregrine Falcon           Red Kite
Heron                           Cuckoo (about 4 years ago)
Canada Goose              Greylag Goose
Cormorant                     Lapwing
Oystercatcher                Curlew
Buzzard                         Mallard
Mute Swan                    Swallow
Swift                              House Martin
Sand Martin                   Skylark
Meadow Pipit

(also possible Whooper Swan and Pink Footed Geese)

In the wider area I have recorded about 70 species including Woodcock, various warblers and winter visitors such as Waxwing