Am I right in thinking there have been more bees around this year? I guess the weather has been to their liking. However, it’s clear they need all the help we can offer them. This is Bees’ Needs Week. Check out these ideas for helping them out.
Tag: wildlife Page 4 of 9
As plotters, we all know the importance of encouraging insect pollinators. The RHS Garden Magazine for July has an interesting article by Kate Bradbury recommending plants from seeds that can give pollinators a big boost.
Kate’s recommendations are:
Borage
Cornflowers
Cosmos
Field Poppy
Honeywort (Cerinthe)
Nasturtium
Scabious
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)
Sunflower
Viper’s Bugloss (Echium)
Many of these are to be seen on our plots and site. Can anyone comment or suggest alternatives?
Back copies of RHS Gardening (and other mags) are available in the Octagon.
Thanks go to Arshia for catching this video.
Spotted on Plot 85 in the last week or so, making use of a welcome shower of rain.
Thanks go to Phil (Plot 35), Sonya (Plot 97B) and John (Plot 50) for prompting this post and the photos.
It was good to be reminded this week that Garthdee Field is such a great, natural green space for wildlife as well as growing.
Sonya sent me these photos taken by her granddaughter, Erica.
Photo Credit: Erica Berry
Photo Credit: Erica Berry
Erica took these pictures as part of a nature project she has been doing.
Earlier in the week, John alerted Stuart and me to a bee swarm he had seen and he managed to track and find it.
Photo Credit: Stuart Oram
John told us that such swarms of bees are natural at this time of year as a new Queen seeks to set up a new colony.
Phil spotted these caterpillars near his plot.
Photo Credit: Phil Wilkie
Photo Credit: Phil Wilkie
Phil reminds us that we ought not to chop down all the nettles we find on site as they are a preferred habitat for a number of species like Red Admirals. Small Tortoishells, Peacock, Comma and Painted Ladies. We plant things to feed the butterflies but often forget the food their caterpillars need.
It’s great to get these photos and stories. Please keep them coming.
Stuart spotted this Wagtail nest today in the line of containers by the Bothy
This sheltered, dry spot must have seemed very inviting in the days of a cold, late spring. The nest now has four eggs.
Unfortunately, now that this path is much busier than it was, the Wagtail is much more disturbed and we are worried that she may be neglecting her eggs, but we live in hope for happy hatchings.
Stuart and I happened upon two mushroom enthusiasts at the weekend. Nicola Alcorn and Paul Hagan had returned to the public path by our site to check out some mushrooms they had seen before. Nicola has been kind enough to send me this account of their find.
“This fungus has been tentatively identified as Barometer earth star. – scientific name- Astraeus hydrometricus. Usually found on sandy dry soils under mixed broadleaved trees. Identifying features include large brown spores ( under microscopy) outer felty surface and as humidity changes arms of the star ( can be 7,8 or more) will open and close.”
Paul sent this photo:
Photo Credit: Paul Hagan
Further searching revealed a number of other examples along the path edge.
Nicola and Paul have sent photos and a specimen to the national Mycological expert, Liz Holden believing that if they are correct she may send them on to Kew for verification as this may be a first confirmed example in Scotland.
Fingers crossed, Garthdee Field may be on the map as a site of something very special – as well as for its excellent plots and fine veggies of course! Just as well, perhaps as the Barometer earth stars don’t make for good eating apparently.