Unaccompanied minors

Looking for ants: young green woodpecker (and blackbird)

Nesting time for the birds is pretty much over for another year, and the adults are feeding up the last brood (still one young blackbird being fed, and a lot of young sparrows).  We've been seeing quite a few young birds which are now independent and going about their business on their own.  The blackbirds have three youngsters in all, including two who seem to be doing their own thing, even though mum and dad are still about.  There have been a few young blue tits on the peanut container, at least one spotty little robin down in the damsons, a little goldfinch and a few woodpeckers, both great-spot and green; the green woodpecker plucked up the courage to come down one day in search of ants on the lawn, probably having noticed the blackbirds raiding the ants' nests that developed in the cowslip patch (which has now been mown down).  Other bird visitors have been the first nuthatch seen since they left the nest, and the goldcrest, searching for spiders on the rotary dryer.  I suspect that the goldcrest is around much more than I realise, but being small and inconspicuous he probably goes unnoticed.  They're usually birds of conifer woodlands, and conifers are few and far between around here (unless you count our Leylandii hedge).

The pigeon visitors have also increased, almost certainly as a result of the hay-cutting in the fields around us.  For most of the summer so far we've had a single pair, but as soon as the hay was cut Lefty the lame pigeon and at least one other pigeon appeared in the garden.  Lefty has been raiding one of the alpine strawberry plants, but I'm too soft-hearted to chase him away; it's good to see him still around.

Butterflies are becoming a little more numerous in the garden - speckled wood, tortoiseshell, one red admiral and of course the cabbage whites.  The mullein moth caterpillars disappeared, presumably having turned into chrysalises or whatever their next stage is.  Lots of bees, enjoying the clover in the lawn and the oregano.

The vegetable patch is still very dry, though there has been a little more rain recently; it has been less warm but very breezy, which dries the soil out.  (This has been quite a breezy year so far; I haven't been tempted to eat outside very much.)  The new rhubarb plant is settling in nicely, though, as have the courgettes and borlotti beans.  We've also had the first few potatoes.  On the fruit side, the gooseberry harvest has been good.  I did some pruning and thinning out in the winter, which I've seriously neglected in the past, and it has paid good dividends; the pruned bushes are healthier, with bigger and sweeter fruit than before.  The raspberries (when I can get at them before the blackbirds) are also good; the plants really need replacing, but I'll give them a bit more attention this year.

Sweet peas ('Royal Romance' and 'Athena')

There has been a steady supply of Sweet William and sweet peas for the house, as well as roses, and the first dahlias are out.  'Juliet' is good, and 'Jescot Julie' would be but for a serious infestation of the ubiquitous blackfly.  The Cosmos are starting to flower, and the first Zinnia opened the other day.  The patio pots have finally been planted up; they still need to fill out a bit, but don't look too bad grouped together in a corner.