Sunday 31 July 2016

Sunday 31st July 2016










A glorious day, very warm and sunny all day.
A day more or less relaxing in the garden. Found some hedgehog poo on the bbq decking this morning so created another hog home just under one of the deck paths. Wired up with a camera ready for when I have my system sorted. Also placed another mouse house in a wood pile again wired up with a camera.
No moths in the trap again but on the bathroom ceiling was a stunner. Who needs a trap?
Plenty of butterflies and bees about plus more empty nymph shells appearing out of the pond.
Another day with no sightings of swifts so unplugged the swift call this afternoon, roll on April 2017.
Thought would use the patio umbrella today and what do I find, a mouse nest but where on earth did it find the paper shreddings?
Picture 1 - Moth on bathroom ceiling.
      "     2 - White moth giving it large to another.
      "     3 - A cou[le of empty nymph shells.
      "     4 - Mouse nest, sadly partly destroyed by me in opening up the bag.
      "     5 - Bee on a thistle.
      "     6 - Mint moth.
      "     7 - Speckled wood on the window cill.
      "     8 - Hog hotel.
      "     9 - Mouse house in wood pile.

Saturday 30th July 2016













A very warm and sunny day, brilliant and ideal conditions for an afternoon summer bbq.
A perfect day with the company of the Williams, fun and games before a lunchtime bbq then a nature talk about foxes and woodpeckers before allowing the three boys to choose a pressy from the prize table.
Really was a good day. Great video of the sack race Phil, top man you are!

Friday 29 July 2016

Friday 29th July 2016









A good day following an early morning shower. Warm and sunny most of the day.
Today completely disconnected 8 cameras from the hide monitoring system. All that original work hiding the cables, grrrr. Have the other 8 to deal with now in the observatory, this is worse as cables trunked in the lawn. To be honest I am very disappointed with the system having only enjoyed two years of viewing. Still debating on what my next step should be.
Not much time to see what was about today apart from what I have posted here.
Picture 1 - Mouse house with feeding tube, this will be placed in a wood pile.
      "     2 - Another hedgehog box, this will be placed at the bottom end of the garden.
      "     3 - Not a happy bumblebee, I did come to the rescue and no harm caused.
      "     4 - Moth on the oak tree.
      "     5 - Mint moth on a sunflower leaf.
      "     6 - Bees loving the bean tree flowers.
      "     7 - Moth in the corner of the lodge.
      "     8 - Fly.

Thursday 28 July 2016

Thursday 28th July 2016












Warm, sunny, overcast, a light shower, lovely evening. A mixed bag of weather today.
With my camera monitoring system still out of action thought would take the opportunity to look at other ways to utilise 16 cameras to the best advantage. Started by making another mouse house and hedgehog house. Both wired up with a camera, just need to organise installation.
On opening up a habitat that has not worked for some time I found a home filled with spiders and webs. Camera wrapped up in cobwebs.
                Good to see the hedgehog out again last night as via a trail camera. Delighted to see a gatekeeper in the herb border this morning. Still not photographed the whites and blues yet, will not pose for me as yet.
Picture 1 - Water droplet in a cobweb after a light shower.
      "     2 - Gatekeeper butterfly.
   "   3 - 8 - Spiders.
   "        9 - New mouse house with feeding tube.
 "10 & 11 - Hedgehog.

Wednesday 27th July 2016








Warm and sunny best part of the day.
Morning taken up by the weekly food shop, the afternoon however much more interesting.
At long last saw a southern darter dragonfly over the pond and land on the rope hand rail. also spotted a soggy nymph in the pond but not sure if the two went together. 
A speckled wood also seen sunning ones self by the pond on the wood pile.
One moth photographed, nothing in the trap again. Plenty of bees in the wild flower border and a pigeon egg on the decking, a peacock butterfly indoors so all in all a pretty good day.
            Enjoyed an evening out at The Heron on the Lake with Lulu and Clive. 
Picture 1 - Moth on a garden table.
     "      2 - Common  Darter dragonfly (I think).
     "      3 - Peacock butterfly in the kitchen, spotted on a wooden ceiling beam.
     "      4 - Bumblebee on the decking.
     "      5 - Pigeon egg.
     "      6 - Speckled wood butterfly.
     "      7 - Bee on the buddleah.

Tuesday 26 July 2016

Tuesday 26th July 2016












A bit cooler but still a warm and sunny day.
Most of the day spent just looking and admiring what is flying about just hoping for that one dragonfly to emerge. Did find another empty nymph shell so are about somewhere.
Bees very busy today but not a butterfly to be seen. That did surprise me. No sign of the swifts so really do think they have now left so look forward to April 2017 now.
Picture 1 - Grasshopper on front door frame.
      "     2 - Ladybird and ones shadow.
   "   3 - 5 - Young blackbird drinking from the pond.
   "        6 - Moth on shed door.
   "        7 - Long legs on a pond balsam leaf.
   "        8 - White tailed bumblebee.
   "        9 - Moth trapped by a thistle,
   "       10 - Bumblebee.
   "       11 - Fly.