Thursday 31 May 2018

Thursday 31st May 2018


Very warm and overcast with very heavy rain tonight.
Lawns cut this morning then this afternoon made a start on removing the bluebell stems and leaves.
            No moths in the trap again but yet more bees. To be confirmed as I do not trust myself but these bees look like red tailed bees?
Male great spotted woodpecker still busy taking away mouthfuls of fat, as no sign of the female I am pretty sure he is feeding her as she is sitting.
Good to see sparrows returning to the garden. Realised today the female pied wagtail has not been seen for a month, this is worrying, not sure what has happened as she was taking away mouthfuls of food making me think she was feeding young.

Wednesday 30 May 2018

Wednesday 30th May 2018



Warm but rather overcast today.
No moths in the trap again but yet more bees. Did photograph a moth however, a mint moth on the Conservatory door.
The male great spotted woodpecker very busy again, clearly feeding young as taking away mouthfuls of fat.
Young starlings still busy feeding and drinking from the garden. I have restricted the number of fat balls however, just two a day now. 
                   Attended the monthly asbestos support group this afternoon so time observing the garden was limited today.

Tuesday 29 May 2018

Tuesday 29th May 2018


Very warm (muggy) with showers throughout the day
A day indoors not because of the weather but because Leeks were due to carry out the windows and door remedial work. Let's change the subject as it didn't happen.
             Male great spotted woodpecker busy on the feeders again, no sign of young however. The pied wagtail has been missing for over a month now, bird activity had been very strange this year. 
Good to see a stag beetle in the garden this morning. No moths in the trap but a further five bees. Wished I had kept count now but do know for sure there has been at least 20.
               Tonight enjoyed a meal at the New Inn to celebrate ones wedding anniversary.

Monday 28 May 2018

Bank Holiday Monday 28th May 2018

Hot and sunny all day and well into the evening.
Not much doing today, a relaxing day, just pottering. Tied up the sunflowers, watered the hanging baskets and a little weeding.
             More bees in the moth trap and a ladybird. Bees busy in the hole in the lawn. Damselflies busy in the pond, great spotted woodpecker appeared after an absence of a few weeks, 
Rain forecast for the rest of the week now so is that our summer over?

Sunday 27 May 2018

Sunday 27th May 2018

Hot day, sunny all day and well into the evening. The storm last night hardly happened as it turned out. Certainly missed the raging storms that are being reported.
Despite the heat I was determined to finish the alpine garden. The three homemade concrete sinks now bedded in gravel. Igloo replanted and a gravel path created.
Just the planting of the sinks now, will visit a specialist nursery at some point.
             No moths again but more bees. Bees also very busy in the lawn I reported last night.

Saturday 26 May 2018

Saturday 26th May 2018



Very warm and sunny, however as I write this at 10pm we are enduring a thunderstorm.
A day working on the alpine garden project. Border of pots housing alpine plants now encased in gravel. Am pleased with the result.
The igloo has been modified as cats and foxes were forever jumping on it. Have reduced it in height and refilled the inside with soil. Will replant tomorrow covering with chicken wire until the plants have rooted fully.
In the lawn of this area a fox during the winter made a hole with its nose, in fact it made a few holes over the winter. Thought I had filled these holes in before sowing grass seed, clearly missed a hole but what is good bees have taken over this hole. Been very busy yesterday and today. I was sitting out there at 9pm tonight and the bees were still busy.
Bet they are not now with this storm?
                  What a surprise in the moth trap last night, more bees and a beautiful hornet. Stayed and watched the hornet prepare itself for flying away. Just like dragonflies it was as if it was drying its wings for about two minutes before lift off. Amazing to see.
Checked out two of the trail cameras honed on the starlings, some good results both in still and video.



Friday 25th May 2018




Very warm and sunny day, weekend also looking promising but to expect thunderstorms.
A day working on the alpine garden project I started 18 months ago. Lawn at last now looking like a lawn, had to sow seed as the foxes were forever digging up the turf.
Prepared the border for the large pots of alpine plants, pots in place but now require encasing in gravel. This hopefully I will do tomorrow. Weather permitting.
                 Garden wildlife was all about the starlings again. Another 12 fat balls eaten, absolutely amazing. Have managed some good images with back up from three trail cameras.
The other regular bird visitors have been forced out from the shear numbers of starlings. Think tomorrow I will not refill the fat ball feeders, plenty of other food about so no bird need go hungry.
Moth trapping has not been successful this year, only six moths seen so far. What I am getting now each night are lots of bees. Six last night.

Thursday 24 May 2018

Thursday 24th May 2018

Warm but sadly a wet day. It was actually welcomed as the garden certainly required it.
Today was the three monthly meet up of cousins, hosts today were Margaret and Peter. Always good to catch up with family gossip.
            At lunchtime I placed 12 fat balls in various feeders, wax astonished to note all 12 eaten on returning home tonight. Have some astonishing images of rampant starlings eating said fat balls.
As out most of the day there is not much for me to report tonight.

Wednesday 23 May 2018

Wednesday 23rd May 2018

Very warm day, much cooler tonight however. Rain forecast tomorrow.
As you can imagine my day was spent in the garden. Cut lawns and finished the planting up of the pots, sinks and baskets.
Theme this year is not so much about colour but more on plants that are friendly for bees and butterflies. Just a question now to tidy up after a week of planting.
              Very pleased with how the wildflower area has performed this year. Glad I persevered. Not a colourful area but full of wild flowers that have already attracted bees, butterflies, damselflies and all manner of insects. It is also sown with summer wildflowers so hopefully further plants will be showing soon.
                Been a good day for wildlife, all about damselflies today. Watched a pair mating then the under water procedure to lay eggs. Fascinating to watch, learnt a little more about life as a damselfly. So with success both with damselflies and dragonflies why no frogs?










Images 1 - 4 - Mating and laying eggs by damselflies.
     "           5 - Hoverfly on an overhanging ivy leaf.
     "           6 - Wildflower area.
     "           7 - Planting up the hanging baskets.
     "           8 - Sparrow.

Tuesday 22 May 2018

Tuesday 22nd May 2018






Very warm day, sunny all day.
Day working on the last few hanging baskets. Also planted up the replacement herb plants. One of the herbs was an apple mint and within two hours of planting mint moths arrived, what a result.
Two good looking moths in the trap last night, not yet identified.
A red damselfly appeared in the Conservatory this morning as did an ash mining bee. Tomorrow a day with my reference books I think?

Images 1 & 2 - Moths.
     "             3 - Damselfly.
     "             4 - Ashy mining bee. Thanks Boyo.
     "             5 - Mint moth.

Monday 21st May 2018





Another hot day with sun all day. Apparently there were localised thunder storms, missed it here.
This morning visited Barry and Margaret, been a few years since we last visited, good to catch up.
This afternoon a trip to Henry Street to purchase three herb plants as replacements for some very old plants.
              Checked out a couple of trail camera SD cards tonight. Confirming again there are at least three hedgehogs and two foxes in the garden of a night.

Image 1 - Pair of hedgehogs.
     "    2 - Three hedgehogs.
     "    3 - Foxy after some hedgehog food.
     "    4 - Romance?

Sunday 20th May 2018








Hot day. Sun all day.
Busy day, this morning a visit to the Toll House, giving Lulu some help after her recent leg/ankle operation.
Not arrived anymore than ten minutes when I had photographed a pair of nuthatches and a cinnabar moth. What a result, just love their home.
This afternoon enjoyed a BBQ at the Mullens to celebrate Leilani's 21st Birthday.
Good to catch up with the family as not seen for a while. Can't believe we have known Leilani since birth.

Images 1 - 4 - Life at the Toll Bothy.
     "      5 - 7 - Leilany's 21st birthday bbq.

Saturday 19 May 2018

Saturday 19th May 2018

A very warm and sunny day.
Day spent filling the twenty hanging baskets. All finished, just the pots to fill now.
Tonight I looked over 4000 trail cam images from the period we were away. Some good results. At least three hedgehogs, a strong possibility there could be four. Two foxes were captured in a cuddle on the lawn. Sparrows drinking from the bird bath and a pair of hedgehogs still in a romantic mood.
Swifts really busy today, at least six were flying close to the house again.

Friday 18th May 2018





Very warm and sunny day.
Trip to Henry Street for the annual purchase of hanging basket plants. This year have chosen all bee friendly trailing plants. Have twenty baskets to fill so fair few plants required.
This afternoon I prepared my work station ready to make a start tomorrow. 
           Photographed a speckled wood butterfly on the pond hosta this afternoon, a few moths in the trap last night. Swifts also busy, swift call switched on early morning and again tonight. Flying now close to the house but no sign of nesting.

Images 1 - 3 - Moths.
     "           4 - Speckled wood butterfly.

Thursday 17 May 2018

Thursday 17th May 2018















Very warm day.
Left Knutsford at 9am and arrived home at 3pm after stopping for lunch at the Pack Horse. 
A good welcome home by six swifts screaming over the house. No sign of nest box activity sadly.
Was a good break but always pleased to be home amongst my garden wildlife friends. 
My wildflower area of the the garden is looking superb at the moment. So many flowers taking advantage of this sunny weather.

Images 1 - 11 - Wildflowers.
      "  12 - 14 - The Pack Horse pub.