The wildflower mini meadow is starting to spring into life
Red Campion (Silene dioica)
Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor)
Common Sorrel (Runex acetosa)
Ribwort Plantain (Planatago lanceolata)
Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) has self-seeded in one of the borders. Not sure where it came from and I gather its rather invasive but not too bothered as the bees love it :)
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) is scattered all over the garden.
Garden Update
Blue Tit nest - the female has laid at least one egg. Its very difficult to see exactly how many as she covers them with feathers. She won't start incubating until the clutch is more or less complete and then we should get an idea exactly how many eggs there are.
Butterflies
Not too many around at the moment as its gone so cool but last Monday we had Brimstone, Orange Tip, Holly Blue and Peacock.
Frog tadpoles - all seem to have disappeared. There are loads of Common Newts in the pond who could well be eating them.
Had to rescue an adult Common Frog from a Magpie on Thursday evening. The Magpie was about to peck it to death. Luckily, we intervened and the frog seemed uninjured and we placed it under some shrubs in the border.
Bees
Rescued a Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena fulva) from the kitchen today. This species makes nests that resemble mini volcanoes out of soil in lawns.
Garden Moths
It has been a really disappointing month so far for moths. All I've trapped since 27th April are Hebrew Character x 1, Shuttle Shaped Dart x 4. A Brimstone Moth was seen fluttering at the garage window one night. Have had several occasions when I have trapped no moths at all. Friday, 15th May I found just one Black Sexton Beetle in the trap and last night this Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis.
During mating the male Nursery Web Spider gives the female a wrapped insect! Presumably as a peace offering and to make sure he himself is not consumed? The female carries her eggs with her in a ball the size of a pea and just before the young hatch she puts them inside a silken tent for protection. The adult spiders catch prey by running and sprinting after small insects.
Still lots going on despite the cold weather, at the end of this month it's the garden Bio bliz again.The wild flower you have Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), I too have that growing all over the garden, but some plants have leaves the size of my hand if not bigger, are they the same Herb Robert do you think ? My Mason bees are doing well and have put extra flowers in the front for them to feed, going to make a few more bee hotels too.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be all happening at once come June, still have not done plantlife, but have a few days of at half term... fingers crossed the weather picks up.
Amanda xx
Hi Amanda - Thanks for the comment :) Haven't forgotten garden bioblitz although am livid with OH as he has had a massive pruning session on shrubs and trees :( Not sure about the Herb Robert although I think it can grow as high as 0.5 metres! Can't find a leaf size in the guides I have to hand. Glad to hear about the Mason bees. I bought a new bee hotel from Morrisons last week - will post a photo later in the week. Only £3! Its the same as the one I've already got that the Leaf Cutter bees use.
DeleteI did go and have a look at my Plantlife square briefly last Saturday. There is a public footpath although I suspect its not at all well maintained which could cause problems. Also not happy about walking on my own there but if I take OH or son they will be bored out of their brains especially now we have to do plots instead of just a linear walk. Am in a bit of a quandary! Also have to fit in 1 or 2 water vole surveys before end of May. Still having problems over land access on one site and have to fill in a risk management form for the other :( Am going to run out of time if not careful!! Decided not to volunteer for a BTO survey I was keen to do - probably just as well as all these things are in May!!