WHAT A MISERABLE SUMMER SO FAR

With all this rain it seems like autumn, or more likely, April. However it’s just July, which is meant to be a chance for people and wildlife to enjoy the warm weather before cooler and colder conditions follow in the coming months.

The ducks don’t seem to be enjoying this July weather either, although the snails and slugs appear to be revelling in the conditions.

One thing that has dropped off recently is the visits from birds in the garden. It’s been very noticeable in the last week or so, that very few are seen.

The young magpies are seen, and more often heard, but most other birds have simply vanished.

Of course most will have shepherded their youngsters to less populated areas so the adults can moult; they will soon be back.

The broad beans are already producing a small crop and there’s potential for the tomatoes to start showing small fruit soon too.

One chilli pepper plant has produced a single edible offering, while others are clearly showing signs of soon being able to offer the same.

The rain and cooler weather has meant a lot of wildlife has simply hunkered down, including the crane flies.

While the buddleia has had few visits from the endless butterflies that have been sampling its nectar in recent sunny days.

Perhaps August will see a burst of long-lasting sunshine, warmer conditions and the return of bird song in the garden!

WARMER WEATHER ON THE WAY?

Is the weather playing mind tricks with us? The wet weather over the last few days came after some glorious days with plenty of warmth and sunshine.

The swallows made the most of the warm and dry days, and were often joined by local swifts in the early evening swooping low over the hedges and small trees in and around the garden, feasting on a seemingly endless supply of small insects.

Both groups of birds were calling throughout the feeding frenzy, the swallows with their dance-like tunes, while the swifts shrieked with delight at the abundance of insects lifted above the treeline by the warm air.

It’s possible that the swallows are already on their second brood, and if weather conditions continue then a third might just be squeezed in.

The other birds are infrequently visiting the garden, with the young blue tits being recently spotted again, this time without any parents nearby.

A couple of great tits have also been seen, along with recently fledged robin chicks.

The crane fly hatching continues at a fast pace, although many falling foul of the house and seemingly dying before being able to mate.

One pair was caught mating in the house, so were gently moved outside to continue their rituals in privacy – well as much privacy as outside in the garden can give!

Growth of the garden plants has been good, with the tomatoes and broad beans already flowering and producing a few early fruit, while the sunflowers are all getting taller by the day.

Whatever the rest of July brings, a good harvest of broad beans is hopefully on the cards.

The sunshine did bring out plenty of butterflies – orange tip, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, painted lady and green-veined white.

They were mainly attracted by the buddleia flowers and with both buddleia plants growing rapidly, this summer could be great for seeing the beautiful butterflies in the garden.

SHIVERING WILDLIFE GETTING A SOAKING

Is it autumn already? The weather has been distinctly autumn-like following the hottest recorded temperatures for June in more than 40 years.

The blue tit chicks have paid occasional visits to the garden in the last couple of weeks, and so far it appears most have survived.

I’ve not seen a bird of prey around for a while, even down the lanes, so perhaps the sparrowhawk and kestrels are focusing elsewhere for the time being.

There’s been no sign of any robin chicks yet, although the adults are still regularly spending time in and around the garden.

Both blackbird parents are in the garden daily and, thanks to the wet weather are often tugging worms out of the soil – winning most of the battles.

There’s still no word on whether the house sparrows are sitting on eggs in the blue tit next box, but they are still hanging around there like they own it.

One noticeable visitor has been the crane fly, well actually hundreds of them. Many of them are coming in the house, which is not the best place considering the amount of spiders knocking about.

However it does mean they avoid the increasing amount of swallows, whose first ‘batch’ of 2017 youngsters.

Will July bring warm and summer-like weather? Let’s hope so.