Blue-tit

 Blue-tit searching for creeping crawly snacks.

Colours

 Beautiful colours of the light shimmering in an old web.

In the first unsharp photo of the web, the colours are even more sparkling.

(Click to enlarge the colours)

Little wren

 The smallest of the smallest...

I hear him a lot in my garden...loudly tickering, defending his territory.

He has, so to speak the loudest voice when it comes to protecting what is his.

When you're small you need that I think. Letting hear your voice you're there.

I love this little birdy...extremely quick and fast and so now and then he takes a quick bath.

Foxgloves spots

 The beautiful inside of the (Digitalis), Foxgloves

Swallowtail

 It has been a while, that I really saw him again. This time it was n't just a glimpse. He took all the time to drink from the Nepeta flowers. I did n't know he likes those flowers. I only knew they love the Foeniculum (Fennel) and carrots. Anyway, he sat there for a long time, flew away several times, to come back again and again. 

That was a real treat for me, as I photographed and filmed this butterfly from caterpillar to cocoon and the coming out, back in 2007 

This is such a beauty, living mostly in the southern parts of Europe, but when summers are hot, they also migrate higher up north to the Netherlands.

Squirrel

 Squirrel found something yummy bread, which was meant for the sparrows

and a refreshing drink.

Mickey

 Last week I took care for a beautiful blue-eyed cat, Mickey.

It took a while that he felt safe in a house he did not know. The first days he found shelter high on the stairs, where it was dark and safe. As the days progressed he felt more safe to come out of hiding and found a safe high spot, on a cabinet, so that he had a perfect overview on my garden... 

Yesterday he went back to his owner. Such a beautiful lovely cat.

Dove bathing/swimming

 This wood pigeon really likes the water. On purpose he drops himself into the water, not afraid at all!

It's really a show going on. So much fun to watch!

Bull finches again

Again, the bullfinches came to feast on the seeds of the violets...It looks really yummy!

Both such beauties!

foxgloves

Recently I was at a garden nursery, where I found a cultivated spicy of the foxglove. it was such a beautiful plant and though I have some wild species in my garden, this one has such a bright pinkish color, that I could not resist it...so I took it with me.

At home, I noticed on the label that it was named Pink Panter Foxglove.

Immediately I remembered the blogpost I made back in 2006...where I made a drawing of a fox, putting on the foxgloves...

Today I decided to make a drawing of the pink panter wearing foxgloves...just for fun.
 

Bull finches

 To my amazement this morning, I noticed two Bull finches feasting on the seeds of the violets...(in Dutch the are named Goldfinches). Male and female.

Such stunning birds...especially the pink breast of the male is so beautiful!

Female flycatcher arrived today

Today I noticed that the female flycatcher arrived!  here is a view of both birds. The black one is the male, the more browner bird is the female.

Such a great miracle that she also found my garden. I'm not sure if they are the same flycatchers as last year.  However to me it is amazing, that they found my garden again...coming all the way from Africa.

Also they both fly alone...not together..as she arrives mostly a week or ten days later. Both are eagerly inspecting all the nest boxes in my garden. The male had done some pre-work. He has been inspecting last week all the time...as well as chasing away all the other birds, like the coal-tits and the blue-tits, who also have an eye on the same nest-boxes. 

They are both very territorial and dominant, it looks like they win from the coals and blues.

Now is the question which nest-box is gone be chosen by the female. I think she makes the decision and then the building can begin.

Ladybird

 So sweet to see this ladybird sleeping in a beech-nut. 

Flycatcher is back!

 Flycatcher is back again from his faraway journey all the way from Africa!

I was expecting him to come, so I had an eye on the birds around.  You never can tell if they come and when. There are so many challenges on their way... its every year a delight to see him back in my garden, inspecting the nest boxes and the territory.

I still don't know if its always the same flycatcher, however every year there is a couple in my garden.

here is a link to all the other arrival times of the Flycatcher, when I saw him the first time.

Blackbird nest

 The blackbirds decided to make a nest in the ivy!

That's a great spot for me to be able to follow their progress.

squirrel

 Squirrel inspecting his favourite spot.