Neither swallows nor house martins here yet. Only more queen wasps looking for a place to start their colonies. Apart from the common Vespula vulgaris I have now also had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of a Vespula germanica. I do not think she was just as excited as I was but I had warned her when she was flying dangerously close to the open door: “Wehe, du fliegst da rein, dann mach ich dich kalt.” (I assumed that as a German wasp she would be able to understand German perfectly well). She did linger a bit, apparently considering if my threat of putting her plans on ice were real. They were, as she found out after flying through the door into the room. So out came a glass and off she went to the fridge. I took her out again after about two hours and we had a nice photo session before she had warmed enough to fly away. Somewhat hurriedly, I have to say. Haven’t seen her since.
The next generation of solitary bees is also in the making with two tubes sealed off already. I had actually hoped for more by now, I have to admit. But it is better than nothing. At least I noted that some of the solitary bees have been busy pollinating my gooseberries.
As a sort of bonus or compensation, I have had a very special guest on my balcony yesterday: a cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha)! When I found him lying on his back in the morning, I first thought he (it was obviously a male) was dead, but he soon stirred some of his legs after I had put him on the table for some photos. After watching him crawl around for a while, it appears to me that cockchafers are not necessarily the most intelligent beetles there are. While other flying insects are quite quick to remember they have wings to fly away, the cockchafer just wandered around rather aimlessly. Last I saw of him was him crawling over the edge of the balustrade, probably just plunging to his death. Luckily for him he was too large to be of any interest to the tits that were fluttering around at the time.
The tits (both Cyanistes caeruleus and Parus major) were more interested in the bird feed that is still hanging on the balustrade. The same bird feed that the tits did ignore all through the winter, by the way. Yes, I can be very resentful. To make up for it, they have now incorporated it into their courtship, with the male tits picking some seeds up, then hopping over to the next tree where a very excited female is happily awaiting the food.
Talking of birds, an update on the starlings whom I, a month ago and apparently falsely, accused of nicking the insulation from the other house to pat their nest with it. No, they did not steal the material. What they actually did was enlarge the hole to make their nest right in the insulation. Clever birds. I can still see them flying into the closest tree, pausing, then heading off to the wall. Unfortunately the greenery in between my window and the wall is too lush now to see the nest anymore.
Ah well, not that I have a shortage of animals to watch here. About two weeks ago, when day turned to night and the blackbird thought it had to terrorise the neighbourhood with some of his bickering, I was wondering why the tits were still flying around so late in the evening. I soon realised that the flying pattern did not match that of a tit because of some abrupt changes in their trajectory. And then it dawned on me – the bats were out! *joyful squeal* And they were so sweet. They even swept over my balcony and came as close as about an arm’s length before swerving away. Gorgeous creatures. And their wings rustle. I think they are common pipistrelles (Pipistrellus pipistrellus).
Apart from the animal kingdom another wonderful thing happened: I have finally found the secret to having difficult chili plants sprout. It is patience. And maybe a lot of sun heating up my small indoor “greenhouse”. Still, they are finally here. Tiny, green, delicate. My first chiltepin plants. *another joyful squeal* Took them two months to finally have their coming out. I have transferred them to a larger pot now and introduced them to the gooseberry plant outside with the words: “Look, the gooseberries are already growing on this bush. I want you to do just as well and bear lots and lots of fruits by the end of the summer!” Let’s see if that helped. At least the tomato plants seem to have taken it to heart because they are now growing steadily.
But alas, spring is not only good – I have had my first pest invasion: green flies on my strawberries. Argh, where are the ladybirds when you need them! And even the tits were ignoring this tasty bite. Guess it is time to wean them from the bird feed.
Quick, think of a witty title. 