Hints of Summer
Summer is over now, and the light has taken on that autumnal tone. Well, when we get some. The last few days have been so cloudy and dark it's felt more like October than the end of August! The temperature has taken a tumble too which is great for me as it means I can get back to some crochet again. I've got a couple of things on the go already but I'm having trouble getting back into the evening habit of it, I don't know about you but I seem to spend so much time turning the volume up and down on the telly remote, there's just no time to hook!
I mentioned when I started this blog that I may include posts about nature, and I have been meaning to post about some of the nature-y goings-on in the garden, but what with one thing and another I just haven't been able to get into it, so now that summer is closing it seems like a good time for a round-up.
Collared Doves
Collared Doves have always been one of my favourite birds; the way they walk with those quick little nods, their colouring (drab to some I suppose but I’ve always liked it ) and their collar, and of course their soft cooing call. One of the pages I shall link you to later describes the call as monotonous, and I suppose it is technically but I find it very gentle, calming and restful. They don’t seem as common here as they are else where in the country, Wood Pigeons dominate here – not that I mind that either – so it is always a nice surprise when we get one, or usually two in the garden. But they never stay long.
Until now! And not only did they stay, they used one of our trees to nest and rear a chick in! The cooing was almost constant, and who but a weirdo would mind that? We even heard them calling at 9:40pm one evening!
Until now! And not only did they stay, they used one of our trees to nest and rear a chick in! The cooing was almost constant, and who but a weirdo would mind that? We even heard them calling at 9:40pm one evening!
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| Collared Dove Family (Chick is on the left) |
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| Collared Dove |
Butterflies and Bees
We've had one of the best years for Butterflies! And that is largely thanks to the awesome display of the Buddleia - we can't remember when it last produced so many flowers! The scent was amazing, and there were times when it was absolutely covered in Butterflies and Bees. Soooo many bees! It is quite a large bush now and of course most of the butterflies were quite high up, and so impossible to photograph, but I did manage to get a few shots.
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| Silver Washed Fritillary |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Gatekeeper |
Flowers
The flowers in the garden haven't done quite as well as they usually do, we blame the garden centre and the odd weather, but we have had some nice displays. The Marigolds did well, as did the Violas and the Lavenders (another Bee magnet!) and the Geraniums are still glowing bright red and giving a bit of late colour. There's always some wildflowers here and there, not always by design, including Common Centaury and Silverweed (I think!) which we don't think we've ever had before. Oh, and the Rowan is covered in berries at the moment, but if it's anything like previous years, they won't be there long!
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| Silverweed? |
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| Common Centaury |
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| Marigolds |
It's been a weird year so far with some things dragging on while others are over in a flash, and the fluctuating, and often unseasonable weather, hasn't helped much at all, especially in the garden. Perhaps things will start getting back to some sort of normal now that Autumn is starting, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
If you'd like to know more about Collared Doves:
And for all your Butterfly and Moth needs:
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