Lockdown Diary: Friday 17.7.20

I spent most of lunchtime ‘chillaxing’ in the garden, on this lovely warm day. A Red Kite or two drifted over, and there are still plenty of the neighbourhood’s Swifts screaming around. The ‘drinking pond’ is still proving very popular with the local birds, who almost seem to queue up to use it. While I was out there, Blackbirds, Great Tit, Blue Tit and multiple sparrows came down to bathe and drink. Currently, I have a hose topping it up, so the birds have some clean water for the weekend.

Harebells, our garden, Peterboroough, 17.7.20
Insect-wise, the garden is abuzz with hoverflies at the moment. I don’t know their names, but know a man who does, so will report back if I get a few tied down to species. A single Speckled Wood is defending his sunny patch, chasing off intruders such as the Large White butterfly which was doing a circuit of the garden. Also circuiting was a Holly Blue butterfly, presumably the second generation of the year.

Speckled Wood, our garden, Peterboroough, 17.7.20
Intriguingly, I briefly saw a hawker dragonfly, overhead, heading into the canopy of Hazel and apple trees. Even from that quick look I am fairly certain it was a Southern Hawker. This is a species which used to lay eggs in the dead wood round our main wildlife pond, and we have had lots of ‘teneral’ young adults emerging from the pond in the past. But I have rarely seen any dragonflies or damselflies at the pond in recent years. Let’s hope that changes. Watch this space, to see if I tie down this visitor’s ID later today, or perhaps over the weekend.