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!

FLEDGINGS AND VEGETABLES

After the great tit chicks fledge the nest earlier in the week, the blue tits managed to wait until someone could witness their departure into the big wide world – well the area around the garden.

The numbers of great tits that fledged is unknown, and while there were eight blue tits that fledged, a maximum of six were spotted high in the trees calling for food and reassurance.

It would be surprising if all eight didn’t fledged, but it’s so hard to tell if they all did.

The first one leapt for freedom at about 11am, but it took until mid afternoon for the last one to come out, and then a further couple of hours to reach the others at the top of the trees overlooking the garden.

They roosted nearby as they could all be heard at dusk chattering away, and at dawn they could be heard again.

They’ll probably be taken further afield by their parents in the coming days, but hopefully they will come back later in the summer to see their original home garden.

The vegetable growing season is well underway now with tomatoes, broad beans and chilli peppers all coming along nicely.

A few sunflowers have fallen victim to the snails and slugs in the garden, but the rest, along with some tomatoes and all the broad beans, are now outside.

It’ll be another month or so before we see if the sunflowers reach their potential, and if the tomatoes, chilli peppers and broad beans produce a good crop.