How is it nearly July? The passage of time has certainly flown by, for me, but then the growing season is in full swing and has kept me busy.
In April, a few weeks of unusually warm weather for the time of year ended with April showers. Since then there have been occasional periods of heavy rain, however it remained largely dry here in southern England. A couple of weeks ago (as well as this coming Monday) we had another very hot period of high temperatures. The weather remains warm, so colder mornings are refreshing. It was the sunniest spring on record and continues to be incredibly dry here in the south.
Early warm spring weather has meant that fruit picking this year has been very good. So far the strawberry, currants, gooseberry and raspberry harvests have been great. There are plenty of apples and plums developing too.
The allotment is coming along, we had to hold out planting for a while due to the drought we had early spring. I took advantage of that to add another wildlife area. The shed casts a shadow so I have been unsure what to do with it; now there is a dead hedge, stumpery, log pile and hedgehog house along with nettles and a few other plants to encourage insects, beetles and other invertebrates.
I have noticed a variety of insects this year. Lots of Brimstones (Gonepteryx rhamni) in spring have now been replaced by Commas (Polygonia c-album), Speckled woods (Pararge aegeria), Large whites (Pieris brassicae) and Peacock (Aglais io) butterflies.
Bees have been evident too; Ashy mining bees (Andrena cineraria) in particular. I saw a group of about 20 in one garden.
A buff tailed bee (Bombus terrestris) snoozing in a foxglove.
Juvenile ladybirds have also been evident, arriving soon after aphids show up, now becoming adults.
Mullein Moth (Cucullia verbasci) caterpillars were around one week in April and then disappeared in early June, presumably eaten by birds.
These vibrant caterpillars turn into a brown coloured moth.
Although the caterpillars had eaten a lot of the leaves, the plant survived and has begun to bloom now. It never ceases to fascinate me how the moths found the plant in the first place and how the birds found the caterpillars with no need for chemicals to control so-called pests. The adult Mullien moths are nocturnal, flying in April and May.
I have also learnt about another spider, the Cucumber spider (Araniella cucurbitina); named because of their vibrant green abdomens they are commonly found in the UK, especially in woodlands and hedgerows.
Larger than actual size. Males are about 3.5- 4mm while the larger females are between 4- 6mm.
In May, we met friends at Black park in Slough. It was wonderful to see the emergence of adult dragonflies from their nymph form, species unknown.
After a slow start, due to the weather, things are growing nicely on the organic, no dig, wildlife friendly allotment.
The view of the allotment from the Buddleia shrub.The view of the allotment from the apple tree.
While most of the soft fruit season has come to an end (apart from the autumn raspberries), the plums and apples continue to develop and are something to look forward to later in the season.
Thankfully the rhubarb has recovered a bit after a disappointing harvest. Rhubarb doesn’t like growing in waterlogged soil and although we have sandy free draining soil, I think it ended up being too wet over the winter. The rhubarb was on the plot when we took it over four years ago and had grown very large. Every five years Rhubarb can be divided when the growth has become weaker or leaves are overcrowded so I will do this around November and hopefully this will invigorate its growth next year.
The slightly depleted Rhubarb patch.
The vegetables remain on a three yearly rotation to maintain soil health and keep viruses at bay. Main crop potatoes, kale (Cottagers and Cavolo Nero), beetroot, radishes and courgettes are doing well as usual. This years addition are carrots. I always like to try something different each year and It’s been a while since I tried growing these; so far they are surviving. They are in a raised bed and were sown later and sparsely to help avoid detection by carrot fly (Psila rosae). They are also in a mixed raised bed which also helps.
Along with covering vulnerable plants and growing sacrificial plants such as nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) and marigolds (Tagetes), I intersperse herbs and other flowers in between the vegetables to help prevent too much loss from pests. I usually find beneficial insects soon appear when needed; there are lots of ladybirds on the plot at the moment. I also find the best way to deal with slugs and snails is to collect them and place them elsewhere; plus any plants with soft young growth are protected by copper tape on old pots and thorny material. I do allow some slugs to remain on the allotment however. The Leopard slug (Limax maximus) is one beneficial slug to have in a garden as they don’t eat living plant matter. They are great for the compost and also eat the eggs of other slugs.
Thorny material protecting new growth from slug and snail damage. Also a plastic bottle (with the bottom cut off) to allow water to be directed to the roots.Copper tape around an old pot (with the bottom cut off) used as a guard around the base of an annual while it establishes itself.
We have a lot of wildlife visiting the allotment. There is often evidence of a fox (Vulpes vulpes) visitor (which we have seen on other plots). Plus we often see grasshoppers and Common blue Damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum) and frogs (at the moment we regularly notice one adult and one youngster hopping around). Last saturday, the sun was out and there was an abundance of bees on the Catmint (Nepeta), Red clover (Trifolium pratense), Lavender and Buddleia.
The wild area on the plot contains a bug hotel and is located near to a neighbouring pond. This is where the red clover grows.
This year, I decided to undertake the Big Butterfly Count at the allotment. The butterflies seen were;
2 Small skippers (Thymelicus sylvestris), 1 Comma (Polygonia c-album), 2 Gatekeepers (Pyronia tithonus), 1 Peacock (Aglais io) and 2 Large whites (Pieris brassicae)
Given the abundance of Cabbage whites (Pieris brassicae) nearby I have made sure my kale is covered up.
The perennial kale mixed in with the cut flower patch.
I find it reassuring to have seen so many butterflies and bees at the weekend, especially as overall there seems to be a reduction in numbers this year; partly due to the frequency of wet days.
I have noticed lots of moths this year too. Perhaps the most exotic looking one I have seen so far is the Scarlet tiger moth (Callimorpha dominula).
The creamy coloured spots on the top of the forewings can sometimes have a more vivid yellow tint.The red underwings can be seen here. I also managed to capture some of the shimmering blues and greens of the forewings when the sun shone on the moth.
This moth is medium sized, at 23- 27mm (across the wings). It flies during the day and night through May and June; often noticed while resting on plants. The caterpillars of this moth feed on Comfrey (Symphytum), Hemp Agrimony (Eupatoriumcannabinum), Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Bramble (Rubus fruticosus), Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and Green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens); they can be seen from August until May, overwintering into the following year. The habitats where the Scarlet tiger moth will be found are in areas of wetland, riverbanks, woodlands, gardens as well as coastal areas.
One sound and aerial display of summer which I enjoy is the return of Swifts (Apus apus). I have even been lucky enough to see them catching insects as they swoop over a pond (sometimes just skimming the water) along with another flock soaring high up the sky. I always treasure seeing these amazing birds as they are on the red list for Birds of Conservation Concern 5: (2021). A few things we can do to help them is to put up appropriate nest boxes, as well as adding swift bricks to new builds, giving them somewhere to raise their young. The RSPB also have a citizen science project where you can record their presence. Further information on how you can take part, can be found here. Having arrived in Britain in April and May, it won’t be long before they return to Africa as they only remain here until August. Most of their time is spent on the wing, only stopping to nest in roofs especially of old buildings such as churches. If this isn’t incredible enough when feeding the young they regurgitate a bolus, (a pellet formed in the back of the birds throat) containing between three hundred to one thousand insects mixed with saliva. More information on swifts, including how to identify them can be found on the RSPB website, where you can also hear a recording of their distinctive call.
Swifts are not the only thing I have noticed around ponds lately. I recently learnt about another pond invertebrate, the Common backswimmer (Notonecta glauca). So called because they swim on their back just beneath the surface of the water. Not only do they feed on insects, but also tadpoles and small fish. They suck out the contents of their prey’s body after injecting it with toxic saliva. Found all year round they moult a few times before reaching their final length of one and half centimetres. It was quite fascinating to observe them swimming around.
I have been watching a wild flower grow, in the small garden that I look after in front of my flat. Initially unable to identify it (as I didn’t recognise the foliage) I patiently waited throughout autumn and winter to see what emerged. Then in late spring it developed stalks and flowerheads enabling me to see it was a Field scabious- (Knautia arvensis).
This perennial is blooming now. Bees are loving the flowers.
Field scabious is usually found in places such as grassland, meadows, grassy verges and hedgerows. This self set is obviously enjoying similar conditions in my little plot; thriving in an area against a brick wall with dry, partially shady conditions. It is wonderful to see it attract so many beneficial insects so am happy for it to remain where it is.
The allotment is coming on leaps and bounds. The strawberries (which rarely make it home) were a sweet reward as I watered daily through the recent heatwave and continue to ripen. The Blackflies on the Broad beans were eventually joined by seven spot (Coccinella septempunctata) and Harlequin (Harmonia axyridis) ladybirds, together with lots of their larvae; proof that if you leave pests, predators will appear to deal with them; nature really is wonderful.
The recent higher temperatures have encouraged butterflies to fly around. Lately I have seen Small tortoishells (Aglais urticae), Peacocks (Aglais io), Marbled whites (Melanargia galathea) and Speckled woods (Pararge aegeria).
Also on one sunny day last week, while eating lunch outside, I heard a bird song that I didn’t recognise. I recorded it on the Chirp-o-matic app (the name makes me think of Wallace and Gromit) to discover that it was a Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella). The rhythm and length of notes makes it sound like they’re saying ‘a little bit of bread and no cheese’. In fact this phrase is used by birders to identify it by the song alone and can be heard on the RSPB website.
Unfortunately I couldn’t see the bird which was a shame as I would have loved to see its yellow plumage. Part of the bunting family, both males and females have yellow colouring mixed with some brown (the males can be distinguished as they are more vibrant). These birds are currently on the red list for UK conservation status and therefore Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Found on farmland, they eat seeds, insects, worms, caterpillars, spiders and snails and weigh in at about 25-36g weight (a similar size to a sparrow).
To encourage yellowhammer numbers, the RSPB has produced information for farmers so they can take action to help these birds; However the actions can be applied by anyone living near farmland, and can be found here.
Bee in the Moment 