AtWaG - (All the World's a Garden)

After several weeks of intermittent fencing activity we have at last completed an extension to our deer fence. It remains to be seen whether the deer are as impressed by our efforts as we are. Another half acre has been added to our deer free area and this allows the beginnings of our forest garden where we plan to plant assorted fruit trees with understory to provide picking for us and the wildlife.

Sir David - a Geldof moment please...

I watched the 'Saving Planet Earth' prog on BBC last night. It was full of the usual superb photography and charismatic animals. David Attenborough is looking his age but gave his expected smooth and considered commentary. The measured BBC approach must surely convince viewers that it would be 'awfully nice' if something was done about the situation - that's not enough though - 'imperative' is the word he's looking for.

Tonight we will be shown the celebrities on their conservation jollies to look at the big five and making all the right noises. I trust that now that Sir David accepts that Global warming might be something to do with mankinds activities he has a plan to channel the viewers empathy into doing something more than just changing their light bulbs.

I just wish that before Sir David hangs up his microphone for good he might show some of the passion that Sir Bob does when he gets fired up and tell it like it is.......... come on SIr David, just a few ****** !

"Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We are not the only experiment."
  - R. Buckminster Fuller

Troglodytes troglodytes

A strange, long name for one of our tiniest birds. It means cave dweller and alludes to the Wrens liking for tiny crevises and nooks and crannies to poke around in looking for insects. I'm pleased to say we have a number of Wrens nests around the smallholding this year. One is in the centre of a tightly coiled leaky hose; the one in the image is in a narrow gap in an old door frame - it's an incy nest. The moss is fresh and green showing how quickly the construction is completed and how rapid is the cycle of the production of a brood of youngsters.
A quick glance suggests there could be about 8 little ones inside.

The parents are frantically busy feeding the young at present so we are hearing less of the wonderful song now than just a few weeks ago.

In praise of Silverfish

Checking Wikipedia I find that some people don't like Silverfish!

Librarians perhaps would be justifiably unhappy about them muching their way through book bindings but I have been entertained by them all my life, mostly during contemplative moments in the smallest room. Their agility, flexibilty and panache belies their exceedingly primitive nature, they have apparently been dashing around in search of bookbindings and dandruff for around 300 million years.

Whilst enjoying watching the antics of one especially playful little chap during an early morning small room vigil I accidentally clipped him with my toe and brought his busy life to an abrupt conclusion.

We had a little beetle...

....not Alexander, but Malachius aeneus, AKA the Scarlet Malachite beetle. With the help of some keen entomologists we found him in our wildflower meadows last year in early June. This is a seriously rare beetle in the UK - there were less than 200 individuals spotted last year and we've been anxiously waiting to see if the population is still around for 2007 in our garden.

Thanks to a phone call from Jamie Roberts from Buglife on thursday we were alerted to the fact that some specimens of Malachius aeneus have already been seen this year in the Essex stronghold. After work on thursday I found a single specimen feeding on Buttercup pollen, and then today (Saturday) we (Sue and myself) found seven specimens in various places in our meadows. They were feeding on Buttercup, Phleum, and Anthoxanthum pollen.

It's hard not to worry that the hot spring has tempted the beetles out earlier that is good for them. We were pleased to see that the they look extremely healthy and are flying much more strongly than they did last year. If the good weather holds the prospects must be good as they are clearly finding plenty of pollen to eat.

I won't go into detail about the mysterious life cycle of this charismatic little beetle - take a look at Buglife and you will find out all there is to know - amazingly little!

The image to the left shows Sue in one of our meadows reading the 24th June Sunday Independent and the beetle was on the front page! Kudos to the Indy for donating 20p for every copy sold to Buglife.

Mad March Hummers

I'm getting used to seeing Hummingbird Hawkmoths around the Garden Centre from July right through 'til September - not exactly common but expected in small numbers. I was not expecting to see three of the little beauties dashing around the Plantaria on March 6th!
Surely they must have overwintered here rather than coming in from France as normal. I felt sorry for them because they seemed to be failing in their search for nectar - Daffodils and Pansies are no substitute for Verbenas and Ceratostigma.
Here's a shot of one feeding on trailing Verbena last August.