More lovely observations in 2024 from Melene. Insects and the birds that rely on them.
In this cold damp year one insect seemed unaffected. The many jewel colours and shimmering wings of dragonflies were circling near hedges or darting from a perch everywhere we went from July onwards. Not just in an obvious place like the Chyngton Lane hedgerows which are not far from the water meadow ditches in the valley, but also by the hilltop hedges near Blatchington Green and in more central parts of the town. As usual they arrived in both our front and back gardens and always in the same spaces where we can watch them swivel their bulging eyes looking for their prey.
Pale green bush crickets with long antennae appeared as usual when pruning shrubs after flowering.
A range of hoverflies kept us guessing ‘Is it a bee or a wasp ?’ One of the first were the glistening bronze droneflies hovering in the middle of the garden in April.
Slow worms including tiny young ones continued to emerge until October from warm nooks and crannies among groups of pots, flints and herb bushes though some had been left chewed as always.
Froglets surprised us as we had seen no spawn in any rain filled pots.
A gossamer like lacewing was in the Hazel in May, a Leafcutter bee cut perfect circles out of rose leaves, a Lesser Stag beetle landed in the bottom of an empty pot.
Sparrows continued to nest in the eaves, a Woodpigeon fledged from a clipped Bay tree despite the Magpies though the foxes caught an adult one and Robins had a nest next door.
The surprises were a silent Chiffchaff pecking aphids on a rose by the dining room window in March and a Sparrowhawk perched on a pole in the front garden in August. It is over a decade since the last one caught a nesting blackbird and that was the last nest we had. We don’t live near the edge of town so the constant shrinking of shrubby bird cover in the middle is concerning.
One bird pays no attention though. There were a few warm evenings in July when at 8pm we could hear the Swifts screaming and circling high in the sky before departing. One of the thrilling sounds of summer.
The House martins were still around at the end of September when they flew over the Old Sunnyrise Nursery meadow and skimmed the field towards High and Over. This is when the Large Yellow Underwing moth (pictured above) was on a flimsy stem at lunchtime ponderously trying out different positions and revealing the bright colour underneath. Discovering afterwards the perfect pattern of the eggs in my husband’s photo made the challenge of being at ground level worthwhile. The other two moths were in plain sight in the garden.
However it was a challenge all summer to find shelter with something new on our strolls. The north and east winds didn’t seem to stop and it was wet enough to keep paths slippery. In the garden the low numbers and variety of bees, butterflies, green flower beetles with only one Rose Chafer beetle and few sightings of the Field Grasshoppers made it a lacklustre year. However the other creatures we did see, by chance, were a reminder to just be watchful wherever we are in every lull in bad weather.
It was ironic that we were prevented from watching the garden for the 3rd year running by wasp nests in the middle. So we were glad of a season ticket for the RHS Partner garden at Bates Green farm at Arlington. There are new flowers with bees humming every month, birdsong and plenty of seats to stop and listen.
Melene
