Birds and butterflies

Our hedge sparrows are behaving a little crazy at present. Rushing around and flocking on the lawn.  We think they are after the ants which seem to be everywhere at the moment.  They are also taking chunks of sunflower heads and are in and out of the antirrhinum bed collecting the fallen seeds. Unfortunately I choose yesterday afternoon to clean the front windows and move a pot plant put of the window area while I re-organised some bookcases. Our lounge is double aspect with front and back windows in direct line - and the (mad) birds often think they can fly from the front bushes to the back bushes.  Obviously the windows were super clean and sparkling and at coffee time there was a loud bang. We found this ghostly imprint on the glass - but could not find any damaged birds.

The other remarkable bird event is a visit to our peanut feeder was a lesser spotted woodpecker.  Apparently quite rare these days. Only ever seen one other woodpecker (green) in about 1985!










Not my picture - was not quick enough!



I have been keeping an eye out for butterflies this week, meaning to do the on line butterfly survey.  Unlike last year when we had loads of peacock butterflies on the buddelia this year we have only seen the odd one or two, a few red admirals and rather too many cabbage whites! This morning while looking at the trees we are trying to develop at the end of our field into a wild area I spotted a pretty blue butterfly.  A common blue (male). apparently from this web picture.


Its so hot that we feel slow and tired.  Garden continues to give us more than enough fruit and veg daily.  Not getting a flush of runner beans or tomatoes at present.  Carrots are good and I am harvesting as needed,  The chilli plant has hundreds on it and I am going to leave most of them to go red and then dry them.  Lots of green peppers to come.  The inca berry bushes are big and seem full of fruit which will be ready later on.  No sweetcorn yet - not quite ripe!