The garden is popular with Willow Emerald damselflies this year. These have been around in East Anglia for about 3 years now. This one rested for an hour in the apple tree, in between catching prey.
One afternoon five common blue butterflies appeared, the most we have ever had. They stayed for a couple of weeks.
Now the ivy is coming in to flower we can expect to see lots of bees (including ivy bees), hoverflies, wasps, butterflies and the hornets that range across them all while they feed, trying to catch something. This comma butterfly was one of the first to visit.
Also spotted were these mating green-veined while butterflies today.
This last week we have been on holiday, a staycation with walks and lots of relaxation. Yesterday we visited a very lush marshland nature reserve packed with plants and wildlife, especially grasshoppers and crickets which we could hear the full length of the walk. On another walk we also saw a family of swallows swooping, chattering and landing in a treetop – something we’ve never seen before! There were also two kingfishers and lots of fish. These are the best holiday moments, giving us some hope for wildlife.
Playlist:
Blood Orange – Saint
Michael Kiwanuka – Cold Little Heart
My Morning Jacket – Knot Comes Loose
Brittany Howard – Stay High
X Ray Spex – Identity
Calexico – Under the Wheels
Anna Calvi & David Byrne – Strange Weather
Library bookshelf: