Noticing Nature Blog

A further selection of plants from around the area. Clockwise from top left: Wild Garlic (a new plant for the churchyard list), some lovely drifts of Cowslips in the churchyard, Wild Strawberry in Goodnestone Park and Early Purple Orchid rosette again in Goodnestone Park gardens.

The grounds of Goodnestone Park are superbly managed, with wildlife very much in mind. One point of interest, particularly at this time of the year, is the bee-bank around a veteran Cedar tree close to the walled garden. Yesterday there was a lot going on. There were Yellow-legged mining bees (Andrena flavipes) going about their business whilst a number of parasites were going about theirs. Both Dark-edged and Dotted bee flies were laying eggs at the entrances to the mining b

Helen in Barnsole has created a superb wildlife garden. The log-piles and toad abodes have attracted a healthy population of amphibians. The reward? This beautiful and rather impressive Grass Snake sunning itself on one of the many log habitats. Grass Snake

The Oil-seed Rape at Crixhall was stunning in the morning sun today. It now stands at 2m high, and by the time I'd passed through it I was well camouflaged! The footpath will be impassable within the next few days though. I also saw my first Speckled Wood butterfly of the year at Crixhall Court.

A beautiful day with temperatures reaching, pretty near, 25 degrees. Lots of butterflies and other insects about, including this hoverfly in the churchyard. It's a common hoverfly in the Syrphus genus, probably Syrphus ribesii. There were also Dotted and Dark-edged Beeflies-delightful creatures. Syrphus sp

Holly Blue A walk over to Goodnestone today in glorious sunshine and a gentle breeze. Lots of butterflies on the wing. Several each of Brimstone, Peacock and Green-veined Whites. A single Small Tortoiseshell, a male Orange-tip and 2 x Holly Blues.