Moths for this week

two of the many moths we have had in our garden so far this month

gold spot

silver y

Today's visitor - common darter

the harsher side of nature -

We have been living here for over fifteen years and have always encouraged birds into our garden, making sure the feeders are filled whenever possible, water is always available and nest boxes are cleaned every year, ready for the spring. This year for the first time the great spotted woodpeckers have started visiting.
This evening our woodpecker population decreased by one. at about 6pmWe heard the most awful screeching outside and rushing to the window we saw a sparrowhawk trying to kill a woodpecker in our back yard. They were on the ground and the sparrowhawk had its claws well and truly in the woodpecker and was pecking at it madly trying to end the kill, feathers were flying and the woodpecker was still screeching, the prey was far to heavy to fly off with so the kill continued in front of us for the next ten minutes. daughter retreated into the lounge and I grabbed my camera. it was pouring with rain so I couldn't get any shots through the windows, so I went upstairs and slowly opened the window so as not to scare off the sparrowhawk -  the last thing I wanted was to be left with a dying woodpecker to deal with! I needn't have worried, this sparrowhawk had no intention of leaving it's prey, it stayed in our yard with it for the next 1 3/4 hours in the pouring rain, with the light failing rapidly. when it eventually left it took what was left of the woodpecker with it, leaving just a few feathers behind. I am guessing it won't need another meal for a while now.
Below are a few of the photo's I took during this time, be warned some of these aren't too pretty.

Please don't shed too many tears for the woodpecker - they may be stunning birds to look at but they too will happily feed on young birds even pecking their way into nest boxes to do so.

butterfly bonanza

There has been a serious lack of butterflies this year, not only in our garden, but nationally too. The butterfly Conservation are inviting people to take part in the Big Butterfly Count - it isn't too late to take part - you still have until the end of August to submit your findings.
Today, though, all our concerns seemed unfounded
Today I was in my garden surrounded by colour and noise, with butterflies everywhere I looked along with hoverflies and bees covering the marjoram and buddleia. I am sure many of you have been experiencing something similar to this.

small tortoiseshells and peacock

Comma, peacock and small tortoiseshell

comma and small tortoiseshell

peacock, small tortoiseshell and comma

gatekeeper and meadow brown

large whites

small tortoiseshell

large white

butterfly garden

Unfortunately not in the numbers of last summer - but at least we have had some in the garden this week.


Ringlet

Gatekeeper

Small tortoiseshell

keeping fingers crossed for more in the next few weeks.

My garden is now a buzzin'

But what are they?
Okay I know they are bees and hoverflies but that is as far as it goes.

I am going to have to make time to try and identify these. Any help would be great appreciated!!!!

throwing up more questions than answers

Every time I go out into my garden I notice things that weren't there before, and more often or not I don't seem to have any idea what they are.
so today's question is 'what is this'?

I originally thought it was some sort of mould  - as it has been so wet , but then on closer examination I discovered it is actually made up of round balls which made me think that it could be eggs! can someone please tell me what this is apart from ugly and slightly worrying as it is on, what has been, a very attractive pink flowering alpine plant!

this rain is getting a little bit worrying

The common is naturally wet - but I haven't seen it this wet for a few years - and apparently more rain is to come. These photos were taken from my house, you can see the flood waters edge.

I need your help!!!! what is this?

This visited my buddleia earlier this evening. I have absolutely no idea what it is - can anyone help?

A time to go ahhh!!!!

Lots of fledged birds are around at the moment, our feeders are being filled every day.
this afternoon I took some time out to click away at some oh so cute baby blue tits.

stretching for water

thankfully this time it was only a wood pigeon, the sparrowhawk had visited earlier