Kitchen Moths and Garden Flowers

I haven't had chance for various reasons to run the moth trap for a while but I've found a couple of moths in the kitchen over the last week.

Willow Beauty



Mother of Pearl



The garden has been very quiet bird-wise recently although there is a dunnock visiting with a large pinky growth covering half its head - looks horribly like it may be infected with avian pox (the first sign of a diseased bird I've seen in the garden).

Spotted a bat hunting over the garden last night - it was out well before dusk but I think it was probably pipistrelle - the first I've seen this year in the garden.

Apart from various species of white, holly blues and gatekeepers, there haven't been many butterflies in the garden recently.


I was hoping to pay a quick visit to a local NT property I was driving past this afternoon but in the end I didn't have time so here's a few photos taken in the garden.

We've put some pots around the pond this year as there were too many for the patio but we still haven't got round to replanting the rockery behind the pond



White phlox is joining the pink in flowering



I am always far too late planting out the sunflowers so they always end up as miniature versions of the one's seen at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens earlier this week!



Fuschia






The coneflowers are appearing - hopefully they'll get some visits from butterflies if the sun decides to return



The agapanthus are putting on a better show this year. I love this flower as it always reminds me of Cornwall where they seem to grow everywhere



The Christmas Tree seemed to be on its last legs 18 months ago with no new growth and all the needles turning brown and dying. So I am really chuffed this year that after being repotted several times its discovered a new lease of life



These little fellas were in the sale at a local supermarket and I couldn't resist. I've just put them on this plant pot for now while I decide where they will go