After missing GMS last weekend I was determined to put out the moth trap this weekend. Sadly, yet again there were absolutely no moths in it at all this morning. Temperatures, however, were cold again starting at 6.6 degrees centigrade at 8.00 p.m. when I put the moth trap out and 1.4 degrees centigrade was the minimum recorded.
Mrs Blue Tit is still incubating six eggs with occasional visits from the male bringing in food for her. Incubation takes between 13 and 15 days so hopefully we may have a "happy event" between 13th and 15th May.
I haven't seen the wren entering the hanging basket all week so it looks as though sadly she has deserted due to huge amount of rainfall we have had.
Due to rain and family commitments I haven't been able to get out for the last 2 weeks and as mum is back in hospital and it looks as though we are going to have a lot more rain next week I am not sure whether I will be able to go out much in the foreseeable future.
So I'll finish off with a few photos I took round the garden this morning with the macro lens.
Acer Leaf
Mahonia Leaves
Camelia
Bluebell
Red Campion
The pretty pink flowers of Herb Robert sprout up all over the garden
One of the Azaleas is just a mass of red flowers
Candytuft, Nasturtium and Calendula plants are starting to come up in one of the pots I planted as a nectar source (hopefully) for insects
Clematis is coming into flower
Feverfew
The Verdun Tree, St Albans
5 hours ago
4 comments:
Hello there:)! Bummer about the wren nest, but at least the Blue Tit is still there. You all had crazy weather and I can imagine how much havoc is has caused around the property and wildlife. While I'm not a huge fan of moths, I do think they are cool to have around.....and I hope you find your moths. Maybe it needs a little more time to warm up. As for your flowers....beeeeaaauuuutifuuulll. Your plants look gorgeous. Hope you have a good start to your week:)
Hi Chris - Glad you like the flowers - I love Spring in the garden!
Pretty upset about wren although I suppose there is just a slight chance she might still be sitting but as you say we still have the blue tit nest. Loads more rain forecast next week too! so much for the drought we are supposedly experiencing! Lots of ground nesting birds have had nests destroyed with all the flooding.
I think you are right about the cold weather affecting the number of moths. I am sure it will warm up soon and I will start catching something.
Have a great week and I look forward to more on Bird Island :) All the best Caroline
I too love Spring in the garden Caroline or Spring in general but where is it??? It's more like Winter :-( I'm really fed up with it, we had a couple of sunny hours late yesterday afternoon but it's back to wet again today!
Anyway, your plants all look lovely. I have Mahonia Charity, what lethal leaves it has!
Such a shame about the Wrens. It really is dreadful for the nesting birds. I think the Blue Tits have the best idea by nesting in holes or boxes. I'm not surprised you haven't seen many moths, I am very worried about the butterflies too.
So sorry to read about your Mother. I feared she might not be so well, I know from experience what a difficult time it is for you all.
By the way, your little gnome made me smile. Do you think he escaped from behind that fairy door?
Shy Songbird
I so agree about the weather - its really getting me down too - the odd cloudy cold day with perhaps a bit of sun and then days of rain.
More days of rain are forecast this week too!
Mahonias are nice - I love the splash of colour they bring before much else is flowering and the bees love them.
Did you see the RSPB report on BBC news a few days back about how the floods had so badly affected ground-nesting birds - dreadful reading. I've hardly seen a butterfly yet this year and the bumbles have disappeared too.
Many thanks for your kind comment about my mum - I'm so sorry to hear that you too have experienced something similar. Just feel particularly fed up at the minute because I spent two weeks in meetings and on the phone to try and improve care to keep her in own home as a move to a nursing home or similar would be really detrimental to her and then she ends up in hospital. I just can't bear the thought that she is probably very lonely and frightened but now lacks the capacity to express this. I try to keep personal things (in the main) off my blog but at times it just spills over!
Glad you liked the little gnome - I have a few scattered around to make me smile :D. I think he probably did escape from a fairy door somewhere :)
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