I watch the frog.......
The frog watches the insects feeding on the Eryngium........
The frog misses his prey and lands in the border. He looks cross. He made me laugh. I like the frog.
The cool damp weather is still with us. There are times when the sun shines, they seem all to brief.
The plants seem to enjoy the weather.
The lack of insects makes me feel a little sad. The garden seems empty. I have missed the bugs this summer.
I sit with the pigeon........he is a loner. He has been here all summer.
I leave you with the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes
On every stem, on every leaf,......
and at the root of everything that grew,
was a professional specialist in the shape of a grub,
caterpillar, aphid, or other expert,
whose business it was to devour that particular part.
Perhaps next year will be a better year for insects :)
Happy Sunday safari.........
I love this time of year. Walking towards the next season, for me, is always a pleasure. I love the changes.
Autumn is my favourite season. She is knocking at my door. I feel a nip in the air.
The garden is full of life. When I see the creatures that inhabit this space, I cannot tell you the pleasure that it gives me.
I nearly missed the holly blue. She blends in well with the nigella bloom.
Wasps have been a nuisance this year. We have two nests, one in the loft and one in the copse. Hornets are eating them. I have lived alongside hornets for the last ten years. They use the old trees in the garden to make their nest. I have found them to be passive. I like hornets.
When I saw the Emperor dragonfly early one morning my heart missed a beat. I could barely breath. I had left my camera inside. I flew into the house :) One photograph before he took flight. This beautiful creature has the largest wingspan of any British dragonfly. They live for one month, after a nymphal stage lasting two years. Each year they visit...........my love for them never fades. They really are such magical and mystical creatures.
Happy Sunday safari.
The juvenile Green Woodpecker is very vulnerable.
There are too many Magpies in the garden at the moment. Beware, little one.
The copse is a wonderful place for birds to hide. Overgrown, and more than a little out of control, it gives much needed shelter to wildlife. We all need shelter :)
Butterflies have been few....I have missed them. Meadow brown seemed to have increased in numbers. They hatch between June and August. The Suffolk poet John Clare seemed to describe them in his Shepherd's Calender for June 'Where their old visitors in russet brown, the haytime butterflies dance up and down.'
Wasps are eating the plums. I do not mind, there are plenty to go around. I am happy to share.
Sharing is good......I am a first born child, we take care of siblings that follow us. Sharing is good for the soul.
Pretty bee. I do so love the bees.
I wonder if the honey bee has come from the village. We have several bee keepers. I shall be a keeper of bees one day. I will wait until the grand children are a little older.
The humble bumble will always have a place in my heart. Such sweet and gentle creatures.
My mother tells me when I was small, I would sit in my Grandparents cottage garden and watch them for ages. I have always had a connection with Dumbledores.......bless the bees.
Happy Sunday safari.
Research by Butterfly Conservation shows over a third of our British butterfly species are threatened with extinction. Loss of habitat following intensification of farming in the countryside over the pass 40 years and a succession of damagingly wet summers have contributed to their decline.
This year I have seen far less butterflies than in recent years. I intend to extend my butterfly borders during the autumn. I will also make more spaces for hibernation.
My garden would be less without these beautiful creatures........
