Big Butterfly Count

You may have heard Sir David Attenborough speaking about the Big Butterfly Count recently.  Today is the first really sunny day (when I haven't also been working) since I heard him on the radio and I did my 15 minute count.  It's very easy.  You can print off a list of the most common butterflies from the website: www.bigbutterflycount.org and then you sit for 15 minutes in the garden and record how many of each different species you see in that time.  Then you just type in the numbers on the website, provide a bit of information about your location etc and submit the form.

I saw two Peacock's (strictly speaking on the neighbour's Buddelia), a Large White, a Gatekeeper, and something which may have been a Comma.  I've also seen today Common Blues, a Meadow Brown, a Small Copper and a Small Tortoiseshell.

A couple of photos to follow.

Fame at Last!

The Henley Standard is going to publish an article about the meadow.

I was wondering how best to spread the word and encourage others to think about insect-friendly plants and our wildlife in general, so I emailed the newsdesk details of this blog and a week or so later got a call from one of their journalists.  Last Sunday, a very nice young lady came out to take a photograph of me (probably with my hair sticking out at right-angles because I'd been gardening all day) in front of the meadow.  I was hoping that one of the Conservators would be able to make it for the photo as they have been so supportive in this but unfortunately that was not possible.

So, watch this space.

Meadow

The meadow in its summer glory.  The Cornflowers, Vipers Bugloss and Poppies
are still out, and there are lots of puffy white seed-heads.

Insects on Thistles

I took these pictures to show the abundance of insects that live on thistles.  You might need to click on each picture and enlarge it.  As well as the ladybirds and wasp is an interesting orange and black bug and, to the right of the wasp, lots of tiny black flies.  You can also just see a spider's web.

Goats Beard and Daisy

Goats Beard, also known as Jack Go To Bed At Noon and Noon-Flower,  because it opens in sunlight at dawn and closes around noon.

Large Leucanthemum Daisy half open (in garden)

Mallow and Clematis

A mallow, in the hedge opposite the common, but it would be nice to establish it on the common.

Yes, I love bees.  This one is on a Clematis flower in our garden.

Lesser Stitchwort

Lesser Stitchwort.  It forms low loose clumps in the grass, bearing lots of
tiny white flower.