SUMMER STARTS IN SEPTEMBER

The weather is now showing us what summer could have been like if it had bothered turning up in May, June or July. But what does it mean for the wildlife?

Well in my garden some flowers are still blooming, including gladiola, poppies and rudbeckia, so there’s been a large number of bees and butterflies each day.

At night the slugs are in decline, while the snails are seemingly hiding too as the nights become cooler. That said the last couple have been mild.

The swallows have certainly packed their suitcases, but not all have left. Just two nights ago I saw about 80-100 flying over the house and garden, searching for evening insects for a tasty treat.

I suspect the warm day weather will keep them, but it’ll be how cool it is at night that’ll prompt the full departure.

The usual mix of birds has been in the garden, although a pair of young robins seem particularly fond of spending time there.

The harvesting has begun with tomatoes now a daily fixture and just a few carrots and potatoes left.

I’m hoping the chillies and sweet peppers, most of which are still indoor, will be ready in the next couple of weeks.

So as September means we saw goodbye to our swifts, swallows and house martins, the autumn glow brings new visitors and a different time in the cycle of the lives of wildlife everywhere.

What will the cooler months bring? Our first hedgehog? The great spotted woodpeckers and little owls returning?

Will the weather bring lots of snow and the return of -25C on our car gauges? Whatever happens the wildlife will cope in one way or another, but next breeding season is bound to see extras for plenty of those who didn’t fare too well this year.

Most importantly; will be nestbox camera be able to film a new family next summer?

BLOOMING GARDEN

The wet summer has so far resulted in lots of greenery, but not much in the way of other colours.

Over the last couple of weeks my garden has started to be full of vibrant colours from a wide variety of plants.

The numerous poppy, sunflower and rudbeckia plants are in full bloom and along with the gladiola and smaller flowers, are providing a colourful display.

There has been lots of bees making use of the pollen which is good news as the decline of food giving plants for the bees is a serious problem, especially for pollination of our food and crops.

I'm not sure if any of my sunflowers will reach over 10ft this year, but one or two might surprise me.

The tomatoes and pepper plants are going well and starting to show fruit, though how many will make it through the full growth is unknown.

I'm hoping to see my first red tomato by the end of July, especially as some of the pants I gave away to friends and family are already bearing fruit!

The birds are starting to come back into the garden and I've started hearing the warning calls again of the great tit and seen some young blue tits.

This weekend I've seen some fledgling robin chicks around the garden and along with the blackbirds, they are making use of the worms and other insects.

One thing I have noticed is the tree and house sparrows are not visiting in the same numbers, which I think is down to the chicks in nearby nests fledging and the parents showing them the neighbourhood while moulting themselves.

The swallows are increasing in number as youngsters fledge and join parents for formation flying to catch insects.

The wet weather is providing the swallows with a glut of food, when it stops and the sun warms up the air enough for the insects to take flight.

I'm hoping to have some more pics next week as I'm currently typing with one hand due to an injection into my elbow to help cure a long standing injury, so taking pics and writing with one hand isn't easy and it's taken me a while to complete this post!