nature notes II

[SusanDoris]

this is now available if you're interested
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiAkeD1xe3hAhUh8uAKHSkCCDMQFjADegQIARAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thetimes.co.uk%2Farticle%2Frspb-charity-single-let-nature-sing-features-birdsong-j7hzt0zms&usg=AOvVaw33TdQXaYGT_cQVbd2eU3W4

Yes, I heard that talked about on Radio 4 either yesterday or Wednesday. Sounds good.

[Roses]

Pigeons seem to be so overweight these days, compared to how they used to be, have others noticed that too?

[SteveH]

I have been doing some gardening this morning, and realised that I have got a very bee-friendly garden. It's quite unintentional, but I'm happy about it. I've got apple trees and raspberry canes for their fruit, and bees love their blossom, and I've also got germander speedwell, which is a wild plant that arrived uninvited, but which I am pleased to have, as it is very pretty, and the bees love that as well. In the front garden, I've got great willowherb, another gatecrasher that I let stay, being also very pretty, and that will be flowering in a few weeks. Also roses, and Russian comfrey, which will be flowering any day now, although mine is a sterile version called 'Bocking 14', so I don't know if it's any good for bees. I've also got cow parsley, another uninvited guest. I've just googled, and apparently bees like that as well, so I won't pull it up until it stops flowering. I may plant rosemary as a low hedge at the front of the front garden this year - a useful herb, and bees love that as well. The bees were happily getting high on pollen earlier.

[Dicky Underpants]

and Russian comfrey, which will be flowering any day now, although mine is a sterile version called 'Bocking 14', so I don't know if it's any good for bees.

Wasn't that the variety developed in the early days of the Soil Association? It apparently has a higher nutrient content than other varieties, and may be better at drawing back up nutrients which have leached down deep into the soil. As I understand it, organic growing in those days was rather fixated on this particular variety of comfrey above everything else.

[wigginhall]

Very good, Steve.  I was admiring the bees on th'lotment yesterday.  We have a comfrey in flower, don't know which species, but it's a member of the borage family.   We have borage as well invading, plus Californian poppy, plus rosemary, plus tayberry, all bee friendly.

Found a bunch of rose chafers also (beetle), shiny and bright green, very handsome, probably a pest, but we leave alone.

[SteveH]

Wasn't [Bocking 14 Russian Comfrey] the variety developed in the early days of the Soil Association? It apparently has a higher nutrient content than other varieties, and may be better at drawing back up nutrients which have leached down deep into the soil. As I understand it, organic growing in those days was rather fixated on this particular variety of comfrey above everything else.

Henry Doubleday Research Association, founded by Lawrence Hills, and now called 'Garden Organic'. Hills had a thing about Comfrey, and bred it at HDRA's headquarters at Bocking. B14's big advantage to gardeners is its sterility: it won't spread beyond its allotted bounds. You may be right about the nutrient content; all comfrey has deep roots which draw up a lot of nutrients; maybe B14 is better than most. It is a great compost heap activator, and can also be used to make a liquid fertiliser.

[SteveH]

Very good, Steve.  I was admiring the bees on th'lotment yesterday.  We have a comfrey in flower, don't know which species, but it's a member of the borage family.   We have borage as well invading, plus Californian poppy, plus rosemary, plus tayberry, all bee friendly.

Found a bunch of rose chafers also (beetle), shiny and bright green, very handsome, probably a pest, but we leave alone.

According to this, the rose chafer is a garden pest, but important ecologically. Handsome devil, I agree.

[Roses]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=519

We appear to have green shield bugs in our garden. This morning I found grey seeds stuck to the branches of one of our trees. I looked it up and apparently green shield bugs are responsible. I have never heard of them before or come across their seeds.

[wigginhall]

We get a lot of shield bugs, I quite like them, and we leave them be.  In autumn, they turn a nice bronze colour. 

Allotment now covered in Californian poppies, quite a show, and the bees seem to like them.   Everything dry as a bone.

[Roses]

Do you know what happens when you stand on a green shield bug?

You have a green shield stamp.

[Walter]

We get a lot of shield bugs, I quite like them, and we leave them be.  In autumn, they turn a nice bronze colour. 

Allotment now covered in Californian poppies, quite a show, and the bees seem to like them.   Everything dry as a bone.

I was up in the Yorkshire Dales the other day and saw two reservoirs that were almost completely empty , grass and foliage where water should be .It actually looked quite nice! 

[wigginhall]

Hose pipe bans depend on winter rain, and I can't remember how much we had.   But we are trying to water twice a week now, so as not to lose stuff.   Some things survive drought OK, e.g., lettuce.

[Walter]

Hose pipe bans depend on winter rain, and I can't remember how much we had.   But we are trying to water twice a week now, so as not to lose stuff.   Some things survive drought OK, e.g., lettuce.

good luck with that

btw , I'm quite partial to moist lettuce leaves 

[Roses]

When you cut the tops off fresh strawberries give them to the birds they seem to find them tasty.

[wigginhall]

There are rumours of a Painted Lady invasion this year, (butterfly), as apparently millions are being seen in Europe.  This is the butterfly that migrates a long way,  e.g., from Morocco, and some go back, or their progeny,  which seems incredible.  About 10 years ago, millions did arrive, and you could see them in town gardens.  I have seen 3 this year, but it's early days.

[Roses]

I am sure I have seen a few painted lady butterflies in our garden.

[ekim]

Have you entered 'The Big Butterfly Count' .....https://www.bigbutterflycount.org/

[Walter]

Have you entered 'The Big Butterfly Count' .....https://www.bigbutterflycount.org/

I've just been listening to an item on Jeremy Vine show about a proliferation of butterflies this year.
But don't panic, I managed to swat hundreds of em over the summer 😎

[Roses]

https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/large-red-damselfly/

I saw this damselfly this afternoon, I can't remember ever seeing one before, I had to look it up on the Net, they are quite spectacular.

[wigginhall]

Well, there were a lot of painted ladies, I think they came top of the butterfly count, half a million seen.  Also seen a lot of commas,  speckled wood and the gatekeeper.  But I didn't see a single tortoiseshell, and this used to be the commonest.  Not a bad year, in those areas with plenty of sun.

[Roses]

Over the last week or two we have had large flocks of starlings flying around the roof tops in our area.

[wigginhall]

We heard a vibrating bird call on the allotment, and I thought of fieldfares, which start clacking overhead soon, but then I saw long tailed tits diving into a bush, one of the cutest birds that we have.  I think they have increased, starlings unfortunately are going down, now being red listed, having lost half their population.

[Roses]

One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a girl
Four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret yet to be told.

Normally one only sees one or two magpies, but on a couple of occasions I have seen many more flying around together by our house. I counted twelve the other day, the poem only goes up to seven.

[Nearly Sane]

One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a girl
Four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret yet to be told.

Normally one only sees one or two magpies, but on a couple of occasions I have seen many more flying around together by our house. I counted twelve the other day, the poem only goes up to seven.

Though the theme tune for Magpie the TV series did extend it to 10, and there are many versions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_for_Sorrow_%28nursery_rhyme%29

[Roses]

Though the theme tune for Magpie the TV series did extend it to 10, and there are many versions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_for_Sorrow_%28nursery_rhyme%29

Thanks for that I had no idea there were other versions of the poem.