Garden Robin - I have only seen one at the same time this year but I hope there is a pair of them.
First of all I hope everyone is staying safe and well. Here the days continue to merge into one and most of the time I haven't a clue what day of the week it is. The only difference is weekends when D stops working at home and has 2 days off!
Garden
I am certainly spending a lot more time wandering round the garden and dare I say it appreciating it a lot more.
Holly Blue and Orange Tips are still being seen plus I have seen several unidentified "white" butterflies - too distant and flying too swiftly to work out the species.
Speckled Wood have now emerged and we are frequently seeing males doing their spiralling territorial flights together.
Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)
Bumble Bees are around - all Queens and many seem to be looking for nest sites. White-tailed, Buff-tailed and Red-tailed have been seen.
I managed to get a few record shots of a Dark-edged Bee Fly (Bombylius major)
It was fascinating to watch it putting the long proboscis into Honesty flowers. They make look cute and cuddly but in actual fact they are parasitic bee mimics. The female shoots eggs in the direction of the nests of ground nesting and solitary bees and the Bee Fly larvae feed on the bee grubs!
Over the last few days we have seen a reddish coloured damselfly in the garden. Truly dreadful shots of the one today perched on the outside of the french doors while I tried to take photos from inside! Please ignore the patio pot that needs a weed!!
Bearing in mind the time of year and the black legs I think it may be Large Red Damselfly but I need a better view and photo to be certain.
Lots of Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor) leaves are appearing in the wild flower "meadow" towards the top of the garden.
Wood Sorrel or Fairy Bells (Oxalis acetosella)
Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) Apparently this is also known as "Sour Ducks" as its leaves taste tart!
Red Campion (Silene dioica)
Wood Anemone (Anemone nemerosa also called Wind Flower,Thunderbolt (as picking it could cause a thunderstorm), Granny's Nightcap, Moon Flower, Silver Bells, Drops of snow, Moonflower, Thimbleweed and Smell Fox as the leaves smell musky.
White Bluebells
Azaleas - we mainly have pink ones but there is one orange one which is still in bud.
Periwinkle.
Pot Marigold or Calendula - thankfully a few of these have self seeded as the only seeds I have left are donkeys years old.
Ephemeral yellow poppies are starting to flower.
I found a mass of a new wildflower for the garden - Shining Cranesbill (thanks to Amanda for confirming id).
I have taken up Amanda's (From The Quiet Walker blog) suggestion to keep a little journal listing a few species found in the garden that day and illustrating them. I am the first to admit my drawings look as though they were done by a child!! but I have found it a really relaxing way to spend some time, it concentrates the mind and it really makes you look at the detail of a flower.
Thyme much loved by bees is starting to flower.
Yesterday I planted some seeds - wall pennywort (I fell "in love" with this plant when I went to Anglesey last year and found it growing all over the walls at the Hut Circles at South Stack) seeds bought last year, nasturtiums, sweet peas (seeds bought from Easton Walled Gardens last year) and sunflowers (not sure if the seeds will be viable as they are years old!) D and B have already planted some vegeable seeds.
D found some replica and "real" coin sets last weekend to add to his collection.
I particularly liked this replica coin from the realm of King Offa as we have called the static caravan Offa as it is not that far from Offa's Dyke.
A new jigsaw completed over Easter although I must admit D and E did most of it!
Sadly, a piece had gone missing - I am sure it will turn up one day so B made a replica piece to fill the gap!
Baking is being rationed as flour supplies are low and I can't buy any anywhere.
E made a lemon curd sponge which was delicious. It did sink a bit in the middle but it didn't spoil the cake. It is quite strange because I made a cream sponge from the same book a few months ago and mine sank too!!!! which has never happened to me before. The recipe seems pretty standard so I really don't know what went wrong unless the oven is on the blink. We do need a new cooker but at the moment that is not likely to happen!
Timothy helping me with the OS Map Puzzle Book which I am really enjoying.
B made a Lemon Meringue Pie using up some lemons and eggs about to go past their use by dates.
Timothy helping me have a few glasses of some rather lovely English Heritage wine.
Back in the garden - no sign yet of any Blue Tit eggs although a lot of feathers have been added to the nest. A female Blackbird has built a nest in a laurel near the patio. Not the best of places and I suspect magpies have already clocked where it is :(
Take care everyone and keep safe and well.
*D Photo taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera
16 comments:
I wish I had more garden to wander around in and I need more pollinator friendly plants but can't really get hold of
Lovely to see what's going on in your garden, plenty of wild flowers to draw as well as butterfly's. I love you notes and little drawing they are great, like I said it will be wonderful to look back through the book once it is full. I find I notice more doing a drawing and writing a few notes.
Love all the food too.
Amanda. X
Simon Douglasa Thompson - Thanks Simon. I am very grateful that we are fortunate in having a fairly big garden. House was built in 1920's when they allowed large ones! Have you thought of pots or hanging baskets if your garden is small. Not sure if you are self isolating but if you are still going shopping supermarkets may have plants or seeds? Also you may be able to get plug plants online?? Hope you can sort something out.
Amanda Peters - Thanks so much Amanda and special thanks re: the idea :) Yes, you are right about noticing more and also I check reference and id books more and so learn at the same time :) It is a great way to spend time and stop worrying!!
Oh RR, my mouth is watering with the cake and pie! I love your journal and look forward to more pages. The last drawing in my diary was a diagram showing from which direction the loudest noises (drills, shouts etc.) were coming from while I was trying to count butterflies quietly in the garden! I did get my pocket holiday sketchbook out the other day (I may have mentioned this?) and, in the absence of the usual castles or abbeys, tried a quick pen-and-ink of a Pulmonaria. How wonderful to have an early damsel... I keep looking.
Such a lovely post. I like the idea of keeping a journal with drawings and notes. I'm just listing the species I see at the moment, I can't draw for toffee but I could perhaps insert photos if I made it more of a scrapbook type journal. I saw two robins together yesterday and the nest in the tarpaulin is empty but I haven't seen any robin chicks around and one of the adults was feeding the other, I wonder if they moved nests? Both the lemon sponge and the lemon meringue pie look delicious. You've reminded me that I have a tin of old coins somewhere, they came from Dad who used to keep them in an old teapot. I must look them out, I think the oldest is a George III penny. I see Timothy is dressed ready for the warmer weather. We started to see Speckled Wood butterflies this week too. Stay safe and well:)
Caroline Gill - Thanks so much Caroline. The cake and pie were rather lovely. Thanks so much re: the journal. I've noticed how noisy it can be outside too as there is building work going on round here, kids shouting and a cockerel constantly crowing somewhere not to mention a dog that never seems to stop barking! Keep up the pen and inks and I hope you see a damselfly soon. Take care.
Rosie - Thanks so much. Before I was just listing species too but I do find the drawing therapeutic. As you can see I can't draw either - normally I wouldn't show people but its such a lovely idea of Amanda's that I thought it might encourage others. The robin sounds as though it is courtship feeding the female so there may be eggs soon :) I think I gave my son all my old coins - he went through a phase of collecting them and still adds to it occasionally. I do have a few replica sets though. It is interesting to go through old coins and see what you have :) Rustic Pumpkin in a comment reminded me of Timothy's t-shirt!!!! Stay safe and well too.
It will be a "this and that" from me next! I had to smile, when you said to ignore the pot that needs weeding, most of mine are that way now. Damsels {and dragons} are not the easiest thing to photograph anyway, so you did well. Timothy looks so handsome in his new shirt, so I hope the weather holds for him. Your lemon curd cake looks fine, no major sink there, but if I have a major sinkage problem, I just treat it like a flan and fill it with whipped cream and fruit. No one knows any different. As for eggs, do you know how to test them for freshness by putting in water? Most eggs are good well beyond their best before dates. Here's to more tales from our gardens in the coming weeks. Stay safe and stay well!
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks Deb. A lot of our pots are like that! If some of my seeds come up and thrive I will clear a few and some may be used for tomatoes. Thank you re: the damselfly photo and I agree they are very difficult! Timothy sends you and Treasure a wave :) He has a new t-shirt on its way to ring the changes :) Clever idea re: the cream and fruit and sunken sponges. I think in my daughter's case she took it out of the oven too early to test if cooked! Yes thanks I did know about the egg freshness test - there are only 3 left of that batch now as we also had omelettes for tea which used up 10!!! Look forward to your "this and that" and seeing more of your garden. Stay safe and well too.
I hope you're well too and the ankle is much better?! I'm the same with the White butterflies, too far away, though I have seen a few Orange-tip. The Bee Fly is fascinating, you got some great shots! Great idea on the journal, your drawings are pretty good, a lot better than I could do :)
Pam - Thanks Pam and yes we are all fine here thank you. Yes foot and ankle are a lot better. Just a bit uncomfortable if I bend it too much and it is still a little swollen and bruised (thanks again for asking) :) I've seen a few male Orange Tip too. That is very kind of you to say re my drawings - I am sure you could do as well if not better though!!! :) About to tackle a Speckled Wood!!!!
Haha - Lemon Meringue Pie is catching I see!!!
Love your illustrated journal of the wild flowers in your plot - may try something similar.
Flour - for bread or culinary - can be had from Wessex Mills. They are opening each afternoon with delivery slots. I got one this week so was able to buy a BIG bag of bread flour. Here you can buy a 1.5 Kg bag for £1.90 or 10 Kg for £11. I used them before the Lockdown and can recommend - they delivered quickly too. https://www.wessexmill.co.uk/acatalog/Culinary_Flour.html
Lots of Orange Tips, Small Whites, Peacocks, some Tortoiseshells and a couple of Speckled Woods.
What a pretty jigsaw. We are doing a double sided one of kittens and violins right now !
Bovey Belle - Thanks so much. You can't beat a Lemon Meringue Pie even if it does take hours to make!
Journal concentrates the mind and relaxes - hope you have a go.
Thanks so much re: Wessex Mills - I have bought their small bags of flour before. I will try and get a delivery slot! We failed at midnight last night to get a Tesco slot for two weeks :( Also very anxiety driven :(
Glad you are seeing lots of butterflies.
Jigsaws can concentrate the mind too :)
Stay safe and well and thanks again re: the tip on flour!
A good variety of flowers in your garden. My bluebells have yet to open their flowers. No sign of any damsels here.
Midmarsh John - Thank you. I hope your bluebells flower soon - such a cheering sight. Thought I saw a blue damselfly briefly this morning but not 100% sure. Large Red have been round for a few days now.
Brilliant, Caroline. You wished you had a canal nearby, well i wished we had a garden !-)
Punk Birder - Thanks Dean. I am very grateful that I have a garden and it does help a lot at the moment.
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