Black Redstart nest and new butterflies in the garden

In the last ten days or so I've been lucky to see three new species in the garden, bringing my garden total so far to 32! The first was a Black Veined White (Aporia crataegi) on catmint in the Nectar Bar.

The same day I was watching the bees and flies buzzing around my Pyracantha hedge which was loaded in flowers, when I spotted this little Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)!

About a week later I saw another interesting butterfly in the Nectar Bar which I thought might have been a female Orange Tip, but it was in fact a Western Dappled White (Euchloe crameri), which I've only seen once before. I didn't get a photo but they do look very similar to the female Orange Tip, with that pretty green pattern on the underside of the hindwings.

Now moving on to birds' nests - do you remember me showing a nest a couple of years ago made by Black Redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros) but which had been abandoned with eggs in it? They had built that nest under the roof of the covered patio right by the back door. They also started to build a nest at the other end of the patio the following year, but gave up on that before they finished.

This year they came back and carried on building that same nest! And then they seemed to hang around the pool/terrace area a lot and visit the nest occasionally - until one day we saw them visiting the nest with food in their beaks!!! We hadn't noticed Mrs sitting on the eggs but sure enough those little birds hatched and the parents have been backwards and forwards feeding them, and making a lot of noise if we are outside anywhere nearby (or the cats). Even if I am watching from the kitchen door they seem to pause as if they have spotted me. Quite why they built their nest there if they are going to be that fussy about humans around I don't know!

Both male and female are feeding the young and they are getting really well fed as when we sit outside the parents are coming back with more food in no time at all. A couple of days after we noticed that there were young they started making a noise whenever the parents came to the nest. Keith has counted five beaks sticking up in the air so far. He managed these photos for me to share with you. 

Above and below - the nest is located on the right of the built in barbecue (which we don't use, luckily!) under the patio roof, wedged on top of a beam. Below it is just underneath the white ball light on the right of the barbecue wall, above the blind.

Here's Mr Black Redstart on our shed roof waiting to visit the nest with some juicy morsels.

Photo credit: Keith Allen

And here are some of the babies!

Photo credit: Keith Allen

I'm so pleased K managed to get this next shot with Dad in the picture as well. 

I just hope that they don't fledge before they can fly or it could be disastrous with three cats around.

Photo credit: Keith Allen

Going back to May when the hedge was looking really amazing and really abuzz with pollinating insects.

This is the 'orchid lawn' on the same day, 23 May, with mostly Man Orchids (Orchis anthropophora) visible.

And now, it's covered in pink lollipops, the Pyramidal Orchids (Anacamptis pyramidalis).

View from the other end of the garden showing a Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum) just coming into bloom as well.

It seems to be a good year for orchids as other people have said so too. We recently visited a hilltop not that far from here which was covered in lovely wildflowers and loads of interesting orchids, so that will be my next blog post! I hope you are not sick of orchids yet. 😀 However we will be away for several days next week up into the mountains for a group adventure looking for wildflowers, butterflies and birds so I doubt I will have time to post before then.