Sunday, 24 April 2022

Yellow Rattle and Bogbean - two new plant species in the reserve.

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This rather unobtrusive looking plant is actually one of several Yellow rattle seedlings that have germinated from my seed sowing efforts la...
Saturday, 23 April 2022

Moorhen Eggs at Easter

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  Six beautifully marked eggs from our resident Moorhen. Sadly on checking the nest 2 days later all eggs were gone... Possibly fox or badge...
Sunday, 17 April 2022

Ninespine Stickleback.

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Stickleback in a beer bottle. Despite making a conscious decision not to stock the pond with fish in order to make the pond as attractive to...
Saturday, 16 April 2022

Orange tip and Comma

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  Orange Tip - rarely sits still for long! Comma - much more accommodating and not so camera shy.
Friday, 15 April 2022

Butterflies and Beginnings

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Beautiful spring day with lots of butterfly action. Today I saw Eight different species: Speckled Wood, Peacock, Tortoiseshell, Large White,...
Sunday, 27 March 2022

Dark-edged Bee Fly

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3 of these little chaps buzzing around the Honesty plants this afternoon. Not quite so enchanting as the hummingbird hawk moth, but pleased ...
Sunday, 20 March 2022

Comma Butterfly

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A lovely spring day yesterday, saw this overwintering Comma butterfly flitting about the copse of the East side of our little plot. It is...
Sunday, 13 March 2022

Coltsfoot

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  This cheery Coltsfoot is pretty much the only wildflower I could find that was in full bloom in the meadow; no sign of the leaves which le...

Hit to Toad Jack...

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  Found this little chap nestling under a sheet of corrugated Onduline next to a pile of logs near the pond. Sadly no toad or frogs sporn to...
Sunday, 30 January 2022

Barn Owl Box

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After a lot of pulling on ropes and checking levels, I managed to get the box up and secured. Rather annoyed with myself that I forgot to ma...
Saturday, 29 January 2022

Swift Nest Boxes

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Just put up 4 x swift nesting boxes ready for summer and I  hope that I will be able to tempt some of our summer visitors to take up residen...
Thursday, 4 November 2021

Get the Habit, habitat!

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Hedgehog heaven! Habitat stack 1 Habitat stack 2 Habitat stack 3 Habitat stack 4 by the pond 'Build it and they will come'  Clint (O...

Late season meadow cut

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East view towards the bund North view So, the week before the clocks went back, I had the wildflower meadow cut and the grass put in compost...
Sunday, 12 September 2021

Tortoiseshell & Red Admiral Butterfly

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The meadow is still in full bloom and the butterflies and bees are taking full advantage. Red Admiral (bottom) feeding on cover and Tortoise...
Monday, 30 August 2021

Smooth Newts Arrive!

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While keeping on top of the duckweed in our small garden pond, I accidentally scooped out two little efts (young newts). You can still see t...
Sunday, 22 August 2021

Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus.

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At about 5pm in a sunny spot in the meadow, there were three or four common blue butterflies visiting the wild flowers. The main target flow...
Saturday, 21 August 2021

Wildflower Meadow - Year 1

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  Well it's still only the first year and the cornfield annuals are putting on a show. Will be a few years yet until I can think of it a...
Sunday, 8 August 2021

Emperor Dragonfly

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This female Emperor dragonfly is laying her eggs just under the surface on this pontederia (pickerel) weed plant. Several males and females ...
Saturday, 7 August 2021

Grass snake on pond

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  Great to see this shy newcomer take up residence! - My wife however was less than thrilled!

Small Copper Butterfly on on Corn Marigold flower

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  First year of sowing cornfield annuals and pleased to see that they are supporting the butterflies which have been quite scarce thus far. ...