Garden Blog Summer 2018
Ironically, after the very wet Spring it has been a struggle to keep the garden plants alive for the local insects this summer . We have also been placing an extra bowl of water out on the grass as we read that wildlife - particularly hedgehogs - have been finding it hard to survive in the arid conditions. (Several frogs have taken advantage of this too!)
We were fortunate to have a family of Jays pass through the garden and receive regular visits from a junior and adult male Green Woodpecker. Surprisingly, we are still getting large flocks of juvenile Great and Blue Tits visit our feeders, prompting us to continue providing peanuts and sunflower seeds well past the usual date.
This years Butterfly Count is due to finish on the 12th August. However, although we have had largish numbers of Small/Cabbage White, on the Lavender bushes our Buddleia has not seen as many species as in past years.
Birds seen in and above our garden this summer include Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Red Kite, Jays, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Little Egret, Magpie, Blue, Long Tailed and Great Tits, Song Thrush, Wren, Robin and Dunnock. We have had visits from Small Copper, Gate Keeper, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Large/Small and Green Veined Whites, Holly and Common Blue, Skippers and Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies. Moths have included Red Underwing, Silver Y, Mint and Orange underwing. There has also been several dragon and damselflies.
