Garden Update - Nests, flowers, butterflies,

A belated update on the Blue Tits - the female has laid 9 eggs and started incubating on Tuesday, 3rd May. The incubation period is 13-15 days so we should have a happy event early next week.

Apologies for the poor quality of the photos - the camera relays via the tv screen.

I am pretty sure the female wren is incubating eggs also in a nest in ivy on the patio.


The garden is looking very colourful at the moment - I went out a few days ago to practise using the Canon bridge camera.

The euphorbia I thought I had lost

Green Alkanet is in flower and plants are spreading all over the garden.

Azaleas starting to bloom

A patch of Wood Anemone and

Honesty has been attracting Orange Tip butterflies.

Orange Tips first started appearing on the 4th May and I saw my first Large White on 6th May.

I spotted the first Bee Fly of the year on 8th May - a Dark-edged Bee Fly - sorry no photo I did manage to get D to fetch the camera and even focused only for the camera to tell me there was no camera card :(


First Shield Bug of the year spotted last week - believe it is a Green Shield Bug

Garden Moths and Books

I put out the moth trap last weekend - and trapped the following - all New For the Year


Oak Beauty (Biston strataria) - one of my favourite moths

Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)

Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)

As always if any of my id's are incorrect please let me know. Overnight temperatures are forecast to be milder this weekend so will hopefully be trapping again.



Garden Birds

A pair of Blue Tits are taking nesting material into the nestbox (which has a camera) and a Collared Dove visited the garden (a new species for the year).



Frog spawning activity went on for days - a good year for frogspawn :)




A Spring posy of flowers picked from the garden for Easter Sunday

Books (for Amanda)

I picked up a couple of book bargains at the Nurseries when I went looking for birthday presents for my friend last week.

The AA Book "Exploring Britain's Churches and Chapels" was greatly reduced to £6.99! In fact, I saw it at the same price yesterday in a National Trust shop. It features various churches region by region and has articles on features such as towers and spires. It's well worth buying if you are interested in churches.


This charming bee book was half price!

Will try and resist sneaky book purchases for a while and catch up on some of the books in my vast pile of "waiting to be read"!

Frogspawn, Moths and Flowers

Frogs have been active in the pond - we finally have frogspawn - 3 clumps in the pond this morning :)

Sorry poor picture - low light and it was raining. Hopefully, may be able to get some photos of the frogs in action tomorrow.


I put out the moth trap a couple of times last weekend - 2 Common Quakers and a

Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) (New for Year)

We bought this pot of red daisies as a joint Valentine's Day present and the daisies are still flowering well.

Our neighbour's camelia is flowering profusely whereas

we have just one flower on our red one and one flower on the white.

I bought this Euphorbia a few years ago and, although it did well for a year or two, it then "disappeared" so I was pleased to see it re-appear this year. Although from the look of old seedheads on it, it must have flowered last year too. Feeling rather unobservant!

There are lots of daffodils in flower.

The Hellebore I bought last year is still flowering

as are Snowdrops.

Primroses have been flowering since before Christmas and

Primulas have now appeared too.

The bluebells we inherited when we bought the house in 1978 are coming into bloom.

Lungwort is still in flower - I have another plant further up the garden which flowers later in the year.

Grape Hyacinths are appearing.

B's attempts to eradicate couch grass in the wildflower meadow do not appear to be going well :( He planted loads of Yellow Rattle in the autumn so it will be interesting to see what, if any effect, that has. I have a horrible feeling we won't get many wild flowers this year :(

Still no sign of any butterflies in the garden and no droneflies yet. I have seen a few bumble bees whizzing past the kitchen window and a Blue Tit has started taking nesting material into the nestbox with a camera.

I hope everyone has a lovely Easter.

I am off out to buy some bottled water as B is attempting to repair a leaking hot water pipe (which suddenly got a lot worse yesterday) in the bathroom and we currently have no running water :( The water I put in jugs and kettle etc. is rapidly being used up. So much for making a Simnel Cake today!

Garden Birds and Flower Update 2016

List of Birds Seen in the Garden 2016 (so far) - in order of appearance

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Blackbird

Wood Pigeon

Magpie

Blue Tit

Robin

Long-tailed Tit

House Sparrow

Carrion Crow

Dunnock

Lesser Redpoll

Goldfinch

Wren

Goldcrest

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Starling


I don't count flyovers just species that are actually using the garden in some way. Sadly, no Greenfinches (although I've never seen any diseased birds here they are becoming increasingly uncommon here). Collared Dove is another species that rarely visits these days and Chaffinches have always gone in phases - sometimes ever present and sometimes missing for several years. There's still time for a visit from a Blackcap or Siskin.



Belatedly, a list of plants in flower on New Year's Day

Bergenia
Lobelia
Nasturtium
Coeropsis
Chrysanthemum
Wild Primroses
Primula
Kerria
Corydalis


Mahonia is now in flower awaiting the arrival of the first bumble bees.


A few flower photos taken a few weeks ago


Groundsel

Lungwort - now in flower

This mystery plant was also in flower on 1st January - haven't a clue what it is so would love to know if anyone has any ideas of id.

Camelia buds - flowers are now appearing

Buds on Rhodendron

Primula vulgaris (Wild Primroses) - were in flower before Christmas but they often flower early in our garden.

The Snowdrop I planted last year just emerging - it now has buds

One of the two Hellebores I planted last year has survived (no sign of the other one).

Bergenia

Pot of dwarf daffodils

November Update

A few moths from the last moth trapping session (both New for Year)

Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria)

Spruce Carpet (Thera britannica)

Thanks to Stewart and several others on Twitter for confirming id of Spruce Carpet (there are 3 similar species!).



I don't think I've shown you my moth blouse :) I wore it a few months ago when I took my moth trap along to a Moth Evening at St Patrick's Church, Earlswood, which turned out to be a great evening and it was lovely to see the enthusiasm of people who had come along to learn about moths.

I was rather pleased yesterday to see a Comma sunning itself on the patio.

There are very few birds visiting the garden feeders at the moment (mild weather/plenty of natural food available?) although we did have a Jay in the garden a week or so ago - the first visit for 5 years!


My son picked up this leaf on a railway station platform recently. I am not sure what has made the markings - a leaf miner I suspect. Have put a photo on Twitter and hoping for some id help. If not I will put it on i-spot.

There are dozens of these yellow fungi sprouting on the lawn - they look like Yellow Club but according to my Collins Guide the species is found on unimproved pasture - which my lawn certainly isn't! If anyone has any ideas of id please leave a comment.

More little toadstools growing among fallen berries and leaves.

A few photos of flowers still appearing in the garden.

Chrysanthemum (type bought in a pot from supermarket and then planted the following year in the garden)

The Nasturtiums that were so late flowering are still providing a touch of colour.

Cosmos

Coreopsis

Wild Primroses are already flowering

There are lots of Rowan and Pyracantha berries around the garden - usually birds have already eaten them by the middle of November.

The wildflower meadow has been cut down and some of the couch grass removed. A huge pack of Yellow Rattle has been planted to try and solve the grass problem - will be interesting to see what happens next year!