The Garden of Kent - Birds and Bees

One of the enjoyable aspects of our stay in Kent is looking out of the window at the bird feeders and seeing the variety of birds.

 

As well as the more usual robins, wren, blackbirds and thrush, we have watched birds very close up, just outside the windows.

Here are some of them (photos taken from the web!)

 

 Chaffinch

                               

        Great tit                                                                       Blue tit

 

                                          

        Long-tailed tit                                                             Collared dove 

 

                           

        House sparrow                                                        Hedge sparrow or dunnock?       

 

       

   Green woodpecker - feeds like a thrush         Greater spotted woodpecker - loves peanuts
 

There are also 5 hives in the orchard - kept by a local beekeeper.

One of my jobs is to check they haven't been dislodged by the storms and the anti-woodpecker netting is intact (apparently, the local woodpeckers have a taste for honey?!)
 

 

 

Bees buzzing out - on a sunny day in Jan

 

Mr. Beekeeper 

 

Beekeeper Apprentice

 

The netting and bricks need taking off, to get the roof off!

 

A good quantity of bees that have been feeding on the sugar supplement (removed)

 

 

This is a pollen fondant supplement to go with the sugar one, that was put back

 

Job done until early April, when the hive is opened up for inspection of the queen and it is warmer for the bees!