Buff Tips, nettles and birdy bath day

The Buff Tips are still out on the Silver Birch tree in the garden. They're growing fast and have completely stripped a couple of branches now. They're still hanging out in a little gang, but I can only see five of them. I'm not sure whether the birds have found them or perhaps there's a splinter gang that have gone off somewhere else on the tree. They're really big now and must soon be ready to pupate.

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The ants are still looking after their aphids on the nettles, but there seem to be less of them now. Some of them have moved from the nettle stems to underneath the leaves.

I also found this neat little parcel hanging from a plant next to the nettle patch. It looks like it's wrapped up in spiders silk and has a silk rope suspending it from the branch. It's very intricately made and quite a work of art. I'm not sure whether it's a spider's egg sack, or perhaps a food store.

 

 

The birds have been queuing up for a bath this morning. The baby Starlings were in first, making quite a splash. The Sparrows were waiting impatiently on the edge for them to finish, then one of the Blue Tits got in the queue and a Great Tit appeared and looked like it wanted to join in too. As soon as the Starlings were finished, the Sparrows threw themselves in and had a lovely bath.

 

Come on, come on ... don't use all the water!

The Blue Tit wants to join the queue

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The Sparrows jumped in as soon as the Starlings got out



That's better ... nice and clean!