Thanks partly to the good weather this summer, we’ve been eating meals in our summerhouse at the bottom of the garden. It’s positioned so as to give a view back towards the house, but also to allow a good view through the window across the field behind and out over the valley beyond, where we can see buzzards and red kites soaring above the trees and watch swallows swooping across the field in pursuit of insects. There’s a large hawthorn tree growing just over the fence but overhanging the summerhouse, a field maple next to it and various holly, elder and ivy undergrowth behind us, and a dense growth of damsons (actually plum tree suckers), ash and other bushes further along the boundary. It all provides ideal cover for nesting and feeding birds and other wildlife.
The near edge of the field is poorly maintained by the
owners, but this year a neighbour has scythed the nettles down, providing a
clear view into the field. Over the past
few weeks we’ve been able to watch woodpigeons, crows and juvenile pheasants
(the latter brought in specifically to be shot over winter – why??) scavenging
in the grass, but also four-legged visitors.
A young fox was circling the field one day with one eye on us, probably with
a view to coming into the garden in search of fallen plums (they love plums,
and the grass underneath the tree was looking slightly trampled …). Our favourite sightings were of a young hare,
lolloping down the field, and, separately, of a beautiful big, brown adult hare
calmly grazing fairly close to the inner fence and probably able to see us quite
clearly. It didn’t seem bothered.
As long as we stay inside the summerhouse, quite a lot of
wildlife doesn’t appear to mind our presence.
A pair of woodpigeons regularly stroll past the open door in search of
food or nesting material. The bushes nearby are home every year to wrens
and robins, and we have youngsters of both species appearing daily close by while
foraging for breakfast. The ripening
plums are attracting a lot of insects, which in turn are bringing families of
blue and great tits, and there’s a flock of young goldfinches looking for
seeds. Today a juvenile goldcrest joined
the party!
The birds seem to have had an excellent breeding season, and
are still feeding their last brood. In
recent days we’ve also seen sparrows and blackbirds with youngsters in tow.
At this time of year we normally get a green woodpecker
combing the lawn for ants, but this year it has brought a friend, the pair of
them making double the usual noise when disturbed! A nuthatch, or perhaps two, has also been
around, tapping away at nuts at the bottom of the garden and coming to the
patio for a drink.
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| Ladybirds on the centaurea |
The insect explosion has included a great many wasps, but also ladybirds; it has apparently been a bad year for aphids, but I can’t say I’ve been much bothered by them (perhaps the ladybirds have dealt with them). Butterflies are also much more numerous this year, and early; as well as the usual species, a pair of little blue butterflies (common or holly blues probably) have been fluttering round the garden, and I spotted a hummingbird hawkmoth one day. Wonderful what some warm weather can do!
