Lots of sunshine today down here in Kent but frustratingly cold. On a long walk with the dogs I saw four Small Tortoiseshells along the river IMG_2657.JPG But no other butterflies whatsoever. Although I was pleased to find Cuckoo Flowers on the riverbank P1030608.JPG And admired the soft delicacy of...

Another gorgeous hot sunny day. Out with the dogs this morning I came across eight butterflies in total and all were Peacocks P1030582.JPG P1030586.JPG Back home I caught a few glimpses of the Holly Blue flitting along the gardens but he didn't settle. Nonetheless, a lovely thing to watch. I'm surpr...

I got home to shouts of "There's a little blue butterfly in the garden!" Sure enough when I went to look I saw a Holly Blue bimbling about along the Ivy hedge. My first sighting for this butterfly in both 2011 and 2012 was 6th April and always in my garden. They behave in exactly the same ...

Those days when the sun only comes out just before it sets are very frustrating David. Yesterday was glorious yet no sign of a Small White let alone an Orange Tip - both long overdue. Hopefully not too much longer to wait.

Thanks Neil - they're putting on a grand show just now. Not to be missed! Cheers.

Sun hats and shorts are the order down here in Kent today. It's absolutely gorgeous:gardens,hedgerows,fields and woods all coming into leaf and bloom. Wood Anemones in their thousands photo-15.JPG photo-14.JPG Including a bunch of pink ones P1030558.JPG P1030559.JPG P1030557.JPG P1030560.JPG With Ce...

Sorry Guys- that was a Barren Strawberry, not a Wild One. If a plant doesn't have a label on it like the ones at the nursey, I'm stuck.

Five Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock on my morning walk with the dogs. No sign of any Whites yet. This afternoon I stopped off at Wye Nature Reserve on my way home from work. It was blustery but generally warm with sunny spells. I saw only one butterfly, this Peacock IMG_2599.JPG However, it was ...

I dusted off my sun hat today for the first (and hopefully not the last) time this year, then set off with the dogs. I saw three Peacocks and five Small Tortoiseshells P1030467.JPG I was happy to see that this one had found itself a good source of nectar P1030478.JPG The Marsh Frog was sunbathing in...

On my morning walk with the dogs I came across no less that six Small Tortoiseshells P1030397.JPG P1030411.JPG P1030415.JPG P1030430.JPG And one Peacock P1030455.JPG By the river I met with this chap P1030422.JPG I think it's a Marsh Frog. After lunch I went for a squelch around Hothfield Bog with B...

Excellent stuff, Hoggers. I've only ever once seen a male Brimstone settle for anything other than a few seconds in springtime. Looks like things are hotting up in your neck of the woods. That's my experience too, David:the most I'd hoped for was a blurred photo of one as it flew away;when this one...

The first thing I did on waking this morning was to check on the Blue Tits: the nest was empty, so no eggs yet. The pair have been to-ing and fro-ing this afternoon and I'll be interested to see whether the female spends the night in the box as she did last night. When I got home from work this afte...

There's been a definite change in the behaviour of my Blue Tits this evening. For the first time since she began to build her nest the female visited the box without carrying anything and has stayed inside. She began by settling herself down P1030386.JPG There then followed a prolonged preening sess...

I heard my first Nightingale of the year this evening on my walk with the dogs. A welcome return.

Although mild this morning it was also wet and windy. I didn't think there was much chance of seeing a butterfly on my walk with the dog but took my camera along anyway. I'm glad I did because settled out of the wind on the riverbank was this Small Tortoiseshell P1030306.JPG P1030307.JPG P1030309.JP...

The wood near to my home was ringing with the sound of Chiffchaffs this morning, as the arrival of Spring migrants gathers pace. Whilst not able to reproduce their sound for my diary I was able to get a picture of one (well, sort of... ) as it sang P1030291.JPG Hardly a single tree has yet to show a...

They have a lot to contend with here David: Magpies, Jays, Sparrow Hawks , squirrels, Great Spotted Woodpeckers and my neighbour's three cats, to name a few immediate hazards. We have everything crossed for them. So much can go wrong. They've started to nest in "our" box and so naturally e...

A friend who lives on the other side of Ashford mentioned that over the last fortnight Blue Tits had begun to nest in her tit box. This roughly coincides with my own. She also said that she has noticed more green caterpillars in her garden recently. Nest building continues here P1030172.JPG P1030175...

Ah! If it's Cuckoo Flowers that they like they're catered for as I have them already (although they look a long way off from flowering.) Cabbages, I'd like to think about but I like the Honesty suggestion - I'll see what I can find in the nursery

I'm glad you mentioned that David: honest answer is Nothing, unless they like Garlic Mustard? But a few weeks ago I thought about Nasturtiums, although I haven't got around to doing anything about them. However, I planned on dropping in to the nursery after work tomorrow, so there's another one for ...