End of August Blog

We have designed our garden to be wildlife friendly and we have been rewarded with lots of life living here. The birds are wonderful making the sky busy and filling the air with their song. We had a twitcher friend visit and while he was here, he saw a sparrow hawk and was able to identify our flock of little birds as goldfinches. Later we found this next, so small and beautiful and looking very cosy but sad about the blue plastic, must have come from the fields around us because we don’t use it. I put a hen’s egg in the nest to show just how small it is. Many of the birds have managed three broods this year which is wonderful. Among the usual wrens, blackbirds, robins and tits we have dunnets and sparrows a pair of goldcrests lots of finches, a pair of lesser spotted woodpeckers have nested here for several years, such beautiful birds. The pheasants have made the garden their home and are a source of amusement, one moment walking sedately across the lawn and the next minute they take off running as fast as they can as if being chased. The boys seem to fight all year round and don’t stop when you walk past so intent on the battle that even Pixie walking past doesn’t disturb them.  The moor hens are still with us and seem to like the rill, they don’t like being out in the open very much as that makes them vulnerable.

Lock down has meant that I have been here all the time for months and it has been lovely to see all the fellow occupants going about their business. I sometimes get cross with the pheasants as I can plant out a raised vegetable bed and by the next day the pheasants have been in and either eaten everything or dig them up looking for a tasty morsel. I can’t have it both ways, and the benefits of having wildlife in the garden far out ways the loss of a few seedlings. They look after the aphids and blackfly for me which means that I can happily garden without resorting to chemicals, seeing lady birds doing their thing is lovely, they are so pretty, but don’t be fooled they can give you quite a bite if they are so minded.

With the fruit ripening the wasps are out, I am wary of them as I have experienced a number of stings and react badly, but ignoring them and also putting a jar with sugary water on the table, does mean that they tend to leave you alone in search for the sugar. It is also important not to flap your arms to try and move them on, it makes them cross and attracts attention to you which means you are more likely to be stung. Give them sugar and they will be happy.