Garden Full of 'Frogs' & the Most Amazing 'Bee Talk' Ever !

The Life of 'wellies'

I wanted to go into the garden, the wood, the tracks of tripping lane, but the ground was like a qwugmire and the sky felled sheets of rain.

There’s the odd ‘Wellie’ about the garden, stashed under a wobbly table and one of them is wearing a hole just above the heel, of course the other is quite suitable – if another  could be found within the shed, perhaps a complete pair.....sadly, not in style.

Saturday 9^th June  -  ‘vanished’  being busy out in the garden whilst the Sun made the odd appearance.

The Garden where I sit is my other room

Its outside where all the flowers bloom

I sit and watch the sky go past

Ti’s grey and overcast

A lawn we had is over-grown

Too tall to have it mown

The Man who can has chronic pains

And Mower have, too heavy

So Man that can, gives a strim

A chance for it to grow again!

A garden full of ‘outside’ rooms

All full of shrubs like brooms

Arrangements grow so naturally

To give Wildlife a chance!

A breeze of Ocean scents arrive

To send one’s senses wild

It couldn’t be more pleasing

                                                 Memories of being a child

Sunday 10^th June  -  Fluttering going on over in a shrub behind the ‘Bird house’ .....a ‘Siskin’ ,  didn’t stay long, they never do,  only pass through...Link: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/siskin/

Brigit Strawbridge inspirational Talk on 'Bees'

Wednesday 13^th June  -  Covering the importance of (and difference between) Honeybees, Bumblebees and Solitary Bees, their behaviour and life cycles, the problems they face (pesticides and habitat loss) and what We can all do to help them: http://www.beestrawbridge.blogspot.co.uk/  < including other insects.

'Male' Early Bumblebee - Bombus pratorum.

if you look very closely he is wearing a beautiful yellow mustache

'Honeybee'

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/European_honey_bee and a video I took:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i37KBCN8sPY&feature=g-upl

 and Pollen Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source

Household Pesticides: http://www.soilassociation.org/wildlife/bees/householdpesticides

Thurs - flew !

Friday  15^th June  -  I just flopped and folded away last night, I was so tired. But the morning has given us Rain so thankfully no dancing amongst the wet soggy ground.  The clouds looked weird all day yesterday, almost like they had evolved into another planet riding alongside ‘Earth’.... most odd!

Saturday  16^th June  -  Gave us a huge amount of rain again......also Sunday morning -  And a call from our other Son saying they’ll be arriving later today.....Whoa thats cool......!

Sunday 17^th June  -  Fabulous day had by All.... down on Poppit Sands!

Link: http://www.uksafari.com/fatlegbeetles.htm

'Male' Fat-legged Beetle 

Monday 18^th June  -  Weather wasn’t  bad so we trudged down to the Woods and just above the empty ‘Nuthatch nesting box’ a young Nuthatch was desperately asking it’s ‘parent’ for more food by using a ‘high pitch’ sound., I just wonder if they were from this nesting box.....?

Tuesday 19^th June  -  A 'mob' of Wood Peckers grazing the top field again today but sadly no film footage, they sense I'm around even though wearing green ......”I shall have to stop looking like a ‘predator’”

Warm this morning but it’s brought out the ‘Horseflies’ who bit me twice on my hand (wasn’t wearing my ‘homemade’ solution.)

Wednesday 20^th June  -  I found myself a 'hide' under a stunted Oak tree growing on top of the bank, where I can look down and check who’s calling.....

Spider Crab

‘Solstice’ today.. http://news.discovery.com/earth/summer-solstice-120620.html#mkcpgn=emnws1

Thursday 21^st June  -   And there upon the ‘top field’ dashing away from me was a ‘flash’ of white....a tail...bobbing off into the distance (a rabbit.)

I was swinging from an Ash tree getting a good view to take Woodies but then as I leaned upon the tree with cam. a thud of vibrations ran-up it’s trunk and many more..... ‘Badgers’?

It was raining and surrounded by many prickly 'brambles' .....ouch !   I had a lump in my throat and daren’t clear it for fear of missing this early morning moment, no pictures or videos but my senses were extremely alert to all around me.....A Woodpecker tapping a tree only a few feet from where I stood and the jaw-type chattering, slobbering was even closer -  just  beneath me.....’Badger’ maybe.  ”A friend had told us she was so close to a ‘Set’ during an early morn (during winter,)  that she could see their breath escaping from the entrance.

Link: http://www.newquay-westwales.co.uk/spider.htm

Friday 22^nd June  -  The day started all wet then cleared up after lunch with some ‘sunshine’.

Field Mouse - found under corrugated iron sheet with Toads 

Saturday 23^rd June  -  Gusts blowing in from the gulf with some added sunshine, here and there.

7.28 p.m  As I wash-up the  dishes I glanced out of the window surprised to see a ‘Red-Kite’ approach and lower itself into our garden, it looked bedraggled due to ‘moulting’,  the strong wind was no deterrent for it’s stealthy flight......t’ was hovering and soon moved on.

Sunday 24^th June  -  Flew......

Monday 25^th June  -  Did catch a chorus of frogs lined up alongside the garden pond, they were jumping all over my feet ~ wonderful !

Link: http://wildlifebritain.com/fieldmouse.php

A couple of 'Toads'

Link: http://www.uksafari.com/toads.htm

Arrived in Woodland - A young ‘Wren’ was asking it’s mother for food upon a branch where the ‘Nuthatch’ nesting box is attached......seems to be a favourite tree...... as moments later a ‘Robin’ arrived on the box ......obviously a ‘good view point’ and seemed to be checking all around from every corner of the box.

The ‘Pheasants’ have been nibbling on ‘Doc leaves’ and ‘Bracken’ has been seen eating ‘Sticky-Joe’:

http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/galium_aparine_cleavers.htm

 ‘Put a Pond in your Garden’ > http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/09/wildlife.conservation  < And How to Make your Garden 'Frog-friendly'

You may be lucky enough that when your Pond is in, they get wind of it and jump in, they have a circuit of ponds they visit, incase one or more dry out !

Also a Video I took from around our Garden Pond: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_csHJ34bJCY&feature=g-upl  

Wednesday 27^th June  -  A Wet Cloud is approaching from over the mountains, this means the wettest rain ever.... Biodiversity and Climate Change: http://vimeo.com/7965089#

Thurs & Friday had sheets of Rain...!

Saturday....last day of June  -  every ten minutes a dark cloud descends and releases it's water all at once....as though a ‘Cloud had Burst’ !

Naturally grown upon our top field and nothing finer !

Many thanks for reading

xXx