Night Visitor

 Breakfast time...and a sudden shriek from the Head Gardener!  Just outside ... devastation!

'Something' dug up the geraniums in the night!  A hasty examination of all areas revealed no other damage.

Coincidentally we are awaiting delivery today of a 'wildlife' camera to try to learn more about the visitors to the garden, although we would never have thought to put it on this bed right outside the window!

Recovery

 After a Spring of precocious warmth, harsh frosts and rain the garden has started to show signs of recovering, even if it is late, and we have lost some early flowers.

As you can see some of the later-flowering Irises have survived the frosts and the Red-hot pokers are doing well!

Our 'full-time' work in the garden is allowing some long-standing jobs to be done ... like edging around the cypress trees.

 

This is not a job which is high on the priority list normally!

Unfortunately we now have a fortnight of rain forecast and the Head Gardener has lots of plants which she wants to get in the ground.  Yesterday afternoon was a window of opportunity and so she was happy, planting out the geraniums (or pelargoniums if you're pedantic) which are this year's theme in front of the house. 

 

 A happy gardener has dirty hands!

Observing the Wildlife

 From what we hear it has been a strange Spring weather wise throughout Europe. Other places sharing our bizarre conditions. We were contemplating building an Ark in January but then as we were finalising the design it stopped raining and warmed up. Really warmed up, so much so that the plants thought it was the end of April and went berserk. However unbeknown to them and us the frosts were lurking and overnight destroyed all that lush growth and tree blossom. Furthermore since January we have had very little rain but strong winds. For many years when we moved here we commented that we rarely had winds. Coming from the coast of Lincolnshire we particularly noticed the lack of wind as it was a constant there.

The result of this unusual weather pattern ( although what can we say is unusual now given Global Warming) is that some plants have been killed, most that have their season of interest in Spring have had their leaves and flowers decimated and many of the trees are not yet in leaf.

Living so close to nature we have witnessed the effect of all this on the creatures that we observe regularly. Normally this time of the year the small birds are frantically flying backwards and forwards feeding their young.  A few Swifts returned a week ago but they usually build up rapidly to a reasonable size flock prior to nesting in the eaves of our house but not this year. On Friday we had one pipistrelle bat behind our shutters whereas often we have half a dozen or more. I am no expert but I can only deduce that this is all due to the influence of the weather on the insects and the food chain.

Mr and Mrs Kes, our resident kestrels, have had a very up and down breeding season. They started early, although they couldn't make up their minds which hole in our back wall to use. Having resolved this dilemma they began mating regularly and we assumed Mrs Kes was laying, however they were then interrupted when the other female arrived and wanted to make it a threesome. We think Mrs Kes is sitting now but it has been a very long drawn out process this year and we do wonder if they will actually bring off a clutch. Each year we reflect that with all their efforts only one in five of the youngsters will survive the first winter. However that is natures way of controlling the numbers.

 A lonely Mr Kes sitting on our neighbours roof each day makes me feel sad.

There is some good news however, a red squirrel has been raiding the bird feeder and we have not seen one for several years.

The "best" news we have to report is the arrival of Mummy hare and baby hare. We usually see a couple of hares at this time of year but these two have taken up residence for a few weeks. I put the word best in inverted comers as they do have their draw backs. As a defense against predators young hares dig a depression /hole to squat down in to hide when Mum is not around.

Unfortunately baby hare has dug them all round the garden and is currently using several in the Stachys bed in the courtyard. But he is such a cutie!