Goldfinches!

[DWSmith]

The ruby throated hummingbirds have been back for a while and are constantly swarming the feeder. We'll have to put out another feeder soon. I finally filled up the thistle feeder last week and after a few days the goldfinches are abundant. My wife saw a purple finch a few days ago. They are very unusual for this area. For some reason the bluebirds are in greater numbers than typical.

Maybe we'll see some more bald eagles on the lawn this year.

Looks like a little better than average year for our birds.

[Mark_Riga]

There were a couple of goldfinches buzzing round our garden this morning here in Cheshire. Just one pair that we see occasionally. I've seen them and bullfinches eating dandelion seeds this year.

[Jungle Jane]

There could be an increase in all wildlife now humans aren’t destroying everything. They haven’t been cutting down trees or spraying chemicals. Birds probably like the way we’re all behaving at the moment. Less cars & human activity has made birds nest in places they wouldn’t normally nest it said on the news here a few weeks ago & birdsong sounds louder because of less traffic noise. Enjoy your bird watching

[burnie]

Our garden is busy with birds including Goldfinches, a shortage of Hummingbirds in Scotland though lol.

[Snoop Puss]

Sorry to put a downer on this.

One thing I've noticed this year is a truly terrible decline in insect numbers. I presume it's all the rain as I live in the middle of forestry and olive and almond groves. Hardly anybody round here uses sprays on their trees so that can't account for it. I've seen next to no butterflies and I could count the number of moths I've seen this year on one hand. Hardly any wasps even and nowhere near the usual number of ants. Beetles, very few. Plenty of bumbles and honeybees earlier. Only things thriving are toads and mosquitos.

I've heard one bee-eater, when normally there would be dozens. Five house martins, when usually the valley would be full of them every evening. And bats... not a one. Our local small bird population seems to have plummeted too, though there are some about.

[DannyK]

At Riddlesdown (S of Croydon) all usual tits and finches plus gold crests and for the first time for years a surfeit of starlings.

For the second year no collar doves. They have previously nested in the garden.

No slow worms for three years. Rat attack? Always used to find them in compost bins.

Our locations are missing! Major omission!

[Containergardener]

Weve had the goldfinches too eating dandelions, no hummingbirds either but remember them at my parents in US years ago at the flowers and feeders.
seen quite a few bumbles and wasps, mostly seen orange tip butterflies weve had loads in the garden and as usual lots of ground beetles , snails and slugs .

[Martin H]

I agree about the decline in insect numbers, it's very noticeable and quite disquieting. There are very few aphids, hoverflies, bee flies, wild bees, ladybirds when I usually have lots of each in my garden.

On the upside I have seen a two-spot ladybird this spring, first one for many years. Usually I just see harlequins.