A reminder of summer

I was scrolling through my photos and found this one of the long grass on the meadow.
Look at that sunshine!

Rotting Fruit

Rotting Fruit

Even chicken wire is nice on a warm day.

Rotting Fruit

Rotting Fruit

Rotting Fruit

Taking a break on the tree trunk.

Rotten Fruit

In the orchard just behind the meadow, there is a pear tree with gorgeous ripe yellow pears.
Some fruit is rotting on the ground and there, in the warm October sun, I found at least five Red Admiral butterflies feasting as well as wasps and flies. It really is worth not being too tidy as this provides valuable food at this time of year.

Road Works

An electricity company has dug a hole at the edge of the meadow (in the space where we usually park).  They dug another hole in the large triangle of grass at the top of the road, where I did my practise scything and where we found the Lady's Bedstraw in the summer.

I have taken advantage of the disturbance to plant some Anemone bulbs at the top of the road and I'm hoping that the Cornflowers, which are right next to the dug up parking space, will like the disturbed soil.  My other job this weekend has been to collect seed from the Vipers Bugloss, which is a biennial, to grow some plants on in case they don't propagate naturally on the meadow.  My plastic greenhouse is in pieces in the shed so I'll wrestle that out and hopefully remember how to put it together again.  There are also cuttings cuttings from my favourite sage to overwinter in it, and a couple of Penstemons as most of these died last winter.

Autumn Flowers

There have been light frosts on the meadow some mornings, but it is
still warm and sunny enough for flowers, including this daisy and clover.

Wildlife Artist - Bombus Terrestris

I have reproduced this painting of a Bumble Bee (Bombus Terrestris) with the permission of the artist, Odile Kidd. She is a very talented artist based in London who specialises in painting wildlife.   I love the way she has caught the primitive insect quality of the bee.  

October Dragonfly

The dragonflies were out yesterday as it was wonderfully sunny.
This chap must be a bit dozy because he happily came and sat on my hand.

Update

I dead-headed the Heleniums this weekend which included finally chopping down the spiderweb nursery (see post of 22 August).  I couldn't see evidence of any live spiders, so they must have all grown up and moved away.

Lots of dragonflies around this weekend, probably enjoying the unusual hot weather.  There was one really big one but none of them settled long enough for me to get a decent picture.

Badgers

30°C today. But according to Radio 4 this is not an Indian Summer.  Indian Summers happen in October, when there has already been a cold snap.

I bumped into Ann today - our neighbour - who told me that she recently saw a badger ambling out of the meadow.  It crossed the little road (pausing to look up at her car) and went into the garden next door to ours.  It would be lovely if our efforts to make the meadow more wildlife friendly had something to do with its visit.

Sadly, there was no-one to take a picture.

September Meadow

A gorgeous Heartsease taking advantage of the short grass.

The Cornflowers are still flowering which is great for the bees.

September Butterfly

A Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly. I think this is the first I have seen this year. 

September update

So, the common is half cut (not drunk, half scythed).

I have decided to cut the other half in February because I have heard a lot recently about insects and small mammals needing to overwinter in long grass.  However, I am going to borrow my neighbour's strimmer as cutting with a scythe and removing the cuttings is very hard work.

Red Admiral (in garden)

Dragonfly

The dragonfly was back again today.

Peacock Butterfly

I was standing on the porch and the most beautiful Peacock butterfly landed on my leg. It flew into the flower bed and I flew inside to get the camera. When I got back it had vanished. Luckily, it came back later.

Spiderweb Shroud

These Helenium and Echinacea are covered in the web.  The large spider  can be seen sometimes on the outside.  Inside, are  hundreds of tiny spiders.  I am not a fan of spiders but I had to leave this alone when I was dead-heading the Helenium.

Echinacea party

Moth?

I don't know what this is but it seemed happy to share an Echinacea with a bee.

Dragonfly

Extraordinary alien monkey face

Dragonfly (Ruddy or Common Darter)

His outfit is made of red, green and pearl enamel.

Dragonfly

I couldn't get enough of this chap.  He seemed happy to sit and have his photograph taken.

Dragonfly (on rose in garden)

I think this is a Ruddy Darter.  Possibly a Common Darter.

Common Blue Damselfly (I think)

Our neighbour has established a pond in her garden.  
This may have encouraged these dragonflies and damselflies.

Brown Argus Butterfly (on Aster in garden)

Small Copper Butterfly on Sedum Spectabile (in garden)

This Sedum is just coming into flower.

Vipers Bugloss

This is nearly over for the year, but there are a few luminous blue flowers left for the bees

Large White Butterfly

Two Bees. On Small Scabious in the Garden.

Half Cut Meadow

We made a start on the meadow yesterday.  I used my sickle which is good for a high cut and very good for tackling the brambles, nettles and thistles.  Alistair used his scythe which is excellent in the grass and cuts it nice and low.  We managed about half of the meadow and piled the cuttings up under the trees at the back. It is important to remove the cuttings so that they do not rot down and fertilise the meadow which would encourage more grass and discourage the flowers.  

Anything that was still flowering we left standing as there are still plenty of insects around.   This morning, I sprayed weed killer on some of the brambles.  I do not like using poisons, but it is important to keep the brambles from spreading and I was very careful to target the bramble leaves and nothing else.  This spray does not affect animals.

The Guest Fox

The fox has gone.  The fox had been getting more and more healthy and it seems that it felt well enough to leave.  Our neighbour is convinced that it will visit from time to time.

August Butterflies

This Meadow Brown is making the most of the remaining thistles.

August Butterflies

It's nearly the end of August but the butterflies are still around.  This is a Small Copper on an Aster.  It's wings are looking a bit the worse for wear.

Cutting the meadow

I made a start cutting the meadow this morning.  I'm using a sickle.  It is much easier than my scythe and I made good progress.  I think this is partly because of the quality of the blade (I bought it from a specialist - Simon Fairlie Scythes in Dorset), and also it is much easier for me to manoeuvre than my scythe.

Unfortunately, it is now raining.

Looking for mice

One of our cats sitting on a post at the edge of the meadow, looking for mice.

Fox Update

These photos were taken when the fox had been with our neighbours for a week or so.
She looks a lot more healthy.

Yarrow in August.

Isn't this amazing.  It's like old gold.

Bee

Is it me, or is this bee looking straight into the camera?