Seems we have lots of new starling hanging around and finding their feet (and wings) so to speak. Gathering in little groups to cause a small rucus, it’s quite fun to watch.

(c) K Wicks
Seems we have lots of new starling hanging around and finding their feet (and wings) so to speak. Gathering in little groups to cause a small rucus, it’s quite fun to watch.

(c) K Wicks

(c) K Wicks
I decided to let everything just grow this year and be very minimal with weeding. Nature needs all the help it can get. It’s also making me more interested in what everything is and I’m learning about each plant as it grows and flowers. Willowherb seems to cater for many insects and has super pretty little pink/purple flowers. Also the leafcutter bees have favoured this plant for cutting small holes in the leaves – making me think that’s the reason I haven’t seen a leafcutter bee before, because I kept getting rid of their favourite plant!







(c) K Wicks
Another first and a very exciting one. I had just found my pink strawberry plant was flowering, hidden among other strawberries and the loganberries. With a fuchsia plant and wildflowers too. As I was trying to get enough sunlight in for a shot, a bee came and landed on the willowherb, cut a section of leaf and left again. I was really surprised. I waited and it came back, took another section and left again, disappearing into the budleia and loganberry bush.






It took a few seconds and once it left again I could see that bee had been a bee had visited a number of times. I haven’t ever noticed holes like that before and realise I have previously pulled these up as weeds before they got to be this pretty and useful! Letting everything grow this year has made a big difference.
(c) K Wicks
One white rose in the garden.




(c) K Wicks
It has been another exciting week for nature in the garden, still lots of flying things it seems. This is for the last week or so and one pic in May I forgot to post, but most all of these are my first time seeing them. I may have given them a glance before, but not that I remember, and not that I noticed. I amazed at just how much there is once you start paying attention and letting the garden grow a bit wilder and by plating a bit more.

I haven’t ever seen one of these hoverflies before, there have been a number of different ones, so of course they will get their own post at some point 🙂

A very small weird looking mayfly, checking out my new little tub pond I put together mid week. It’s a work in progress and a trial run really. We’ll see how that goes.

This is another first – a type of crane fly that looks a bit more special than the ones I see all the time. Nature is great.

A new moth for me, and more exciting because it was in my own garden. This almost looked like a leaf at first, but on second glance I noticed it had wings, and a brilliant blue trim on them. I have now seen another of these, so that’s two in a week (I know it was a second moth and not the first again, because it was smaller).

At first I thought this insect had orange eyes. He was moving quickly and didn’t settle for long. After getting a couple of pics he left. I studies the picture to see what it was having worked out it was a type of bee, and discovered the orange bits appear to be pollen. Must have been a very pollen filled flower he visited before getting to me garden.

I love these colourful little wasps. They are so quick and settle for so little time, it’s a difficult process trying to get a good pic, so this one isn’t great, but as it appeared this week again, I really wanted to get a shot.

I am seeing these almost daily now, they land often and give me plenty of time for shots, but are easily spooked. So I wait and enjoy watching them a while first usually.

Again, not a great pic as it’s another fast moving wasp. Enough to work out what it was though. They are as small and cute looking as the rub-tailed wasp.

This chap did not settle long, enjoying the fully flowering loganberry bush but there wasn’t much left for him it seems as the visit was brief. I’m trying to capture all nature at the moment, rather than wait for a perfect shot or miss it.
Hopefully I will get to see lots more this week, maybe something new, maybe not. That part of what makes nature watching so exciting.
(c) K Wicks
There are a lot of yellows around – this is in the last 10 days.







(c) K Wicks
The bee hotel has given me a great opportunity to watch the Bees doing their thing. Resting, gathering and nesting, its very cool. I’ll do more posts of them but this pic from last week is one of my favs.

(c) K Wicks
This post is just for the Egyptian Grasshopper. We had many just hanging around in Spain, so good for photo opportunities. Not so good when you didn’t see them and they fly off catching you unaware.






(c) K Wicks
Even though I know there are many different insects and species, I still get really excited to see them all. A bit of warmth and sunshine gave everything the long overdue push it needed. I’ll try and showcase the abundant days.



I can’t wait for all the flowers to open and bring more and more to the garden 🌼 roll on summer.
(c) K Wicks