Some more highlights! Really do apologise for the length of these posts and amount of photos. Again I've split the post into two.
At the beginning of July I went in search of Spotted Flycatchers at Berkswell churchyard. There was no sign initially but I did find a lovely "mini meadow" of Fox and Cubs (again!).
Just as I was leaving I eventually spotted the bird perched on a gravestone from which it kept flying to catch insects. A very poor record shot - I couldn't get close enough for the 70-300mm lens.
In July we had a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker on the feeders.
Brian's plan to clear and reseed part of our garden "mini wildflower meadow" in the hope of poppies re-appearing worked and there were dozens of poppies throughout July and August.
Some of the other species include Salad Burnet
St John's Wort
Ox-Eye Daisy
Lesser Knapweed
Far more moths were attracted to the trap in July and August
Shaded Broad-bar (New for Garden)
Peppered Moth - a classic example of natural selection in action. Here the light form and another Garden first.
Clay
Dark Arches
Common Carpet
Straw Underwing
Pebble Hook-tip. What a gorgeous moth - so thrilled with this one and another first for the garden.
Yellow Shell
Dun-bar
Copper Underwing
Flounced Rustic
Flame Shoulder
Mint Moth - a very colourful micro moth species
Orange Swift (male)
Copper Underwing
Beautiful antennae on this Willow Beauty
If any of the moth id's are incorrect please feel free to correct me!
At the beginning of July I followed in the footsteps of Edith Holden again and visited Packwood House. On the 7th of July she wrote of being given a beautiful white waterlily from the pool at Packwood House. Today there are two pools one an ornamental pond in the sunken garden and then a larger pool in the parkland so I am not sure which pool she meant! I did find pink water lilies in the sunken garden pool though.
The gardens and house are a delight so a few more photos.
Towards the end of July I went on another "following in the footsteps" quest. This time to Temple Balsall. Edith wrote in the "Country Diary" of cycling to Baddesley and then walking to Balsall Temple (as she called it). She described the area as a beautiful part of the country with "low-lying meadows with sedgy streams meandering through them".
There is a Warwickshire Wildlife Trust there today which I walked around.
Finally finding a Giant Bellflower - a flower she collected and painted.
Back in our garden we found a dragonfly exuvia floating on the pond - I think it belonged to one of the Aeshna or Hawker dragonflies.
On the 3rd August we found a Southern Hawker dragonfly actually in the process of drying its wings.
At the beginning of August Gatekeeper butterflies appeared in the garden. Very few Gatekeepers or Meadow Brown though in the garden this year.
Your mini meadow must have looked a picture, the poppies certainly did! I never did see a Spotted Flycatcher, maybe next year, hopefully there will be more opportunities. Lovely to see all the colour on what has been such a miserable, wet day.
ReplyDeleteShySongbird. Thanks so much - its been awful here too :( I hope you catch up with the Spotted Flycatcher next year. I know you occasionally go to Draycote - I think Napton Church near there is a good site for them.
ReplyDeleteDid you think any more about a mini meadow for your own garden? Even a few square metres would be enough. Let me know if you wish to know where we got our seed from - I think it was Meadowmania but I could check. Although lots of seed companies now sell wildflower mixes.
How lovely to see all that colour, Caroline - so cheery in all this dreadful grey stuff. Love the Southern Hawker pic - great to find it in your garden too.
ReplyDeleteTricia - Many thanks - it is sunny for once this morning but the weather has been awful over much of the last week.
ReplyDeleteWe were really pleased with the Southern Hawker. We knew we had dragonfly larvae in the pond but its great to see the end result!! Found almost a dozen exuviae over the summer but only saw the one "dragon" emerging.
Hallo cane i use a Foto from sis site for a new Fotobackground free or waht must i do?
ReplyDeleteHolztechnik Bernickel - Hello - its fine if you want to use a photo for your own use as long as you don't sell it or make money out of it. A credit would be nice :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking.