I’m unsure how much wildlife and nature watching I’ll be doing in June. On the 13th (hopefully not unlucky) I’m in Hospital for an operation and by what I hear, June will be a month where I’m confined to Barracks.
However, a good opportunity to really watch what’s what around the Garden, so all is not lost.

Painted Lady At present it’s the time of new birth; Sparrows, Tits, Wrens and Blackbirds, the Garden is heaving with youngsters getting to know the ropes of survival, busying themselves fetching food with the occasional punch up on the way!

Fledged Wren – Young Blue Tit – Young Long Tailed Tit Highlights thus far have been finding a Grass Snake under one of the rubber mats I put down plus an enormous Painted Lady which sat and posed rather nicely for me.
Last year I only saw one Painted Lady, that being at Samphire Hoe, so I’m hoping for more. Magical Butterflies and a wonder they fly from North Africa to here.

Parent and recently fledged Greater Spotted Woodpeckers Our Fox is still visiting daily and has had four Cubs. Regretably she hasn’t brought them up to show us yet, but they have been observed playing on the field below early mornings.
Being she has had a dodgy rear leg for quite some time we’re still feeding her. The Jam Sandwiches and Cat Food seem to be the winners for her, she’ll pick up a few and march off to give to her young, returning some minutes later for some more.
Interestingly, she feeds them first.

Speckled Wood – Ladybird Larvae – Sparrowhawk A bit worrying when I was just outside the door and a huge pannicky rustle came from the nearby Laurel Bush, a Sparrowhawk.
Always a pity when a small bird gets snatched but it’s the old ‘I know an old lady who swallowed a fly’ scenario. Every creature has to live and all part of the chain.

The only other slightly worrying thing is the Invasive Ladybird and there’s quite a few Larvae in amongst the Stinging Nettles. The only good thing I suppose is they may eat any Aphids around my Vegetable Plants !

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