Pollinator
It rained literally all day, though for much of the time it was the kind of irritating mizzle that you can decide to ignore if you’re so minded. R and I were so minded: now that the invertebrate season is … Continued
Orange Tip
After lunch I decided to walk around the village to see if I could find any damselflies, none having emerged yet from either of our ponds. I didn’t see any, though I did spot a fresh caddisfly on the marginal … Continued
Ash blonde
It doesn’t take long for the male Hairy-footed Flower Bees to lose their bright chestnut colouring and fade to an insipid elegant ash blonde (much like my own). By now they’re hanging around the pulmonaria like a phantom horde, and … Continued
Against the lore
Owling lore has it that Short-eared Owls don’t hunt in bad weather. I’ve said it myself, with great confidence, on many occasions. It used to be widely believed, including by me, that this was because their feathers aren’t waterproof, but … Continued
Spurgaceous
I used to have a tall Euphorbia characias Wulfenii in the middle of the rose bed in the back garden which was mildly popular with Andrena fulva females, and for several years I would haunt this plant through April and May, … Continued
