Nature 🌱

[Piff paff puff]

The resident mouse has eaten my lovely strawberries
I sprinkled some hot pepper but no luck so I've had to dig them out and plant them above ground level. Not sure if they'll appreciate that at this late stage
House Martin above door has hatched at least one egg, the empty shell was on the ground this morning
Scorcher today hope everyone's enjoying some sun.

 

[Alistess]

Hare

Arctic tern

Some lovely wildlife beside us.

 

[GlitterFluff]

Dawn chorus from my bedroom window this morning

 

[50degreesnorth]

For aaaaaages I thought we had a woodpecker down the lane but it was in fact a creaky branch

I’ve told this story many times now - but during lockdown a woman in my village spent several evenings secretly admiring the owl in a tree by her house.

The cold light of day revealed it to be a carrier bag stuck in the branches.

How’s everyone recording these? I tend to do it a good few times a day for a couple of minutes at a time. I’m thinking of actually getting a notebook to properly track what I’m seeing/hearing throughout the year.

 

[YetAnotherObsessionx]

I'm a bloody idiot. Prepped the garden jan/feb. Thought I was clever pulling out a ton of the same looking weed, getting them before they grew. They were my flowers from last year
It's all coming along nicely though, no thanks to me

It's that annoying stage isn't it when some things are unidentifiable & you either have to presume they're weeds & dig them up, or hope that they're flowers you planted... I'm having that exact same problem! There's a massive mystery plant on my allotment that definitely wasn't there last year, it's in a weird place where I wouldn't have planted anything, but I kinda wanna see what it turns out to be, so I've left it for now. That's half the fun! That, and listening to all the birds. I love hearing a cuckoo & a woodpecker as well as all the little birds singing, it's just so calming.

 

[prozacprincess]

I love nature and being outdoors. I live in a rural area near the beach and nothing makes me happier than being outside. I’m even thinking seriously about giving up my current career to retrain in something more outdoor based.

I’m currently creating a garden on my land which was previously agricultural. I’m not the best at gardening tbh but I’m muddling through. I’ve no desire to grow fruit or veg but I love trees . I’m also creating a zen meditation garden for my husband as a birthday surprise so any hints or tips welcomed.

 

[Miscanthus]

Thank you for the podcast recommendation.

Merlin gave me these this morning from the back door - heading a couple of hours away later so hopefully something different.
View attachment 4005378

Downloaded app this morning and stuck phone out of window:

 

[50degreesnorth]

A good catch this morning - the curlews are so noisy now so my “bird of the day” was easy - the Siskin is unusual for this time of year so I’m chuffed with that.

 

[Ellelalala]

I first got the merlin app when we moved here to New England almost four (!) years ago now. I love it so much. Here's the chorus in our yard this afternoon.

 

[Piff paff puff]

trying not to disturb the swallows building a home above my front door

 

[Pesky Tarian]

Thanks for the recommendation of the Merlin app. I live in a small town in the Peak District but I back onto extensive parkland with many mature trees so we do get a lot of bird life.
I’d also like to recommend the ‘Get Birding’ podcast with Sean Bean. Even if you’re only a casual birder it’s worth a listen for that voice! Like warm honey poured over rolling thunder.

I love your way with words!.

I remembered this little guy who visited a few summers ago.

Yay birds!.

 

[kittenattack]

Some mushrooms have come up in my bay tree container I'd added some new potting compost and my husband bunged some grass cuttings over the top. "Yay" said the mycelium "Let's get going!"

They're not edible though

 

[Ekathrina]

Thanks for the recommendation of the Merlin app. I live in a small town in the Peak District but I back onto extensive parkland with many mature trees so we do get a lot of bird life.
I’d also like to recommend the ‘Get Birding’ podcast with Sean Bean. Even if you’re only a casual birder it’s worth a listen for that voice! Like warm honey poured over rolling thunder.

 

[GlitterFluff]

I've not used Merlin this week as the whole week has basically been a monsoon here but I will get out at the weekend!

There's a lovely woodland walk near me which is teeming with birds but there's no blooming signal up there so I never get the app to work

Also, aforementioned monsoon has - of course - destroyed my peonies which had just bloomed. Happens every single year!

 

[Pesky Tarian]

Omg Pesky do you live very rurally?

I'm so envious. Here in London I get two or three usually

I wouldn't say super rural, our house is in the bounds of a graveyard so it's heavily wooded and well, extremely quiet 🫣. I love being able to know what they all are now!.

London is great though, it's a little too quiet here sometimes!.

 

[Miscanthus]

I've been googling chamomile lawns and absolutely want one now!.

Got my first highly unlikely on the app last night, a yellow legged gull, showed my husband and he was like "what, they're always hanging around the chippy" .

Little listen today

View attachment 4006066

I planted a camomile lawn for a client once. It was only a small area which would have been paved otherwise.
Pick the right cultivar that doesn't need mowing.
Check the Royal Horticultural Society for the best advice. They have a section about camomile lawns on their web site. Can't link for some reason.

 

[Miscanthus]

Wow!
This was my dawn chorus In north Hampshire...the left image was 4.19 am, the right 4.48am. Interesting that the sparrows had a lie in!

I am not usually awake at this time...blame the Merlin app. I saw a Merlin in my garden a couple of years ago. Will try and find (not v good) photo.

 

[Pesky Tarian]

I haven’t been able to get Merlin to identify my chickens yet and they’re not the quietest birds!

We spent a good 5 minutes stood under a tree last night trying to identify a particularly loud bird only to decide it was a very creaky branch .

 

[Piff paff puff]

Random photos from today.

I bought a basic picnic blanket from Amazon for the first time with a gift card I had.My sister really liked being able to lie down and I can’t believe i’ve gone so long without owning one, instead of just using my jumper to sit on.



Your home looks dreamy.

I love that great for impromptu picnics and memories of sunny summer days and beautiful nature pics. I zoomed in on that person in white too see if they were playing cricket

 

[GlitterFluff]

Camomile doesn't require a very moist or fertile soil as it's a Mediterranean plant but it does like a looser, free-draining soil. If the area is compacted then dig it over. If it's clay, add horticultural grit. It will require some shade until established but then full sun so if the Eucalyptus is casting shade on the area it might be a problem.
I can help with ground cover ideas but which way does the area face?

Thank you. It’s west facing but the tree is enormous and the area of our garden that’s affected has roots pushing through the lawn, plus constantly covered in bark and leaves!