Vaughn came round today to pick up some pond plants and immediately spotted a male palmate newt, and shortly thereafter a female.

See Froglife article

(Needless to say, I couldn’t see any the next day, but I’ll keep my eyes open)

I wonder if this couple is responsible for the two blobs already laid.

I keep removing brooklime where it spreads into the ‘open’ area. Also the occasional piece of water soldier. The purple loosestrife has completely finished flowering and may be cut back if the old stems don’t look attractive.

Whatever this plant was, it was not saururus chinensis. It never flowered, and there were never any white leaves. Now we’ll never know.

Pulled out Typha latifolia. Just a few stems. Elegant, but much too big for my pond. I’ve no idea how it got here.

Pulled up water mint that had strayed from its designated area.

Cut back spent stems of greater spearwort.

Continued to remove brooklime and water soldier from deep water.

Cut back spent purple loosetrife. I don’t really need two clumps, even if they are slightly different plants.

Cut back bent over stems of sweet galingale. Still plenty.

c. 9 am on wall next to pond. Too big to be one of this year’s?

Iris pseudacorus ‘Crème de la crème’ is flowering again.

The Speckled Wood butterfly was seen on a path on 9th June.

The Dragonfly exuvia, which presumably this is (see British Dragonfly Society) was found today at about 1pm on the coping next to the pond. I’ve seen no other signs of eggs, larvae or even adults, apart from the occasional damselfly with a very thin, electric-blue body.

26 Jun

Vaughn, Rob and Linda have identified the exuvia as an Emperor. Thanks to them. I wish I’d seen it emerge.

Having finally acquired some yellow skunk cabbage, Lysichiton americanus (thanks Miriam), the white skunk cabbage I planted at the pond edge has finally appeared after hiding for three years, at least that’s what I think this plant is. We’ll see.

The white flag iris, Iris pseudacorus ‘Crême de la crême’ was obviously better last week, when I was away, but it’s still lovely today.

The greater spearwort has now migrated all over the pond from wherever I planted it, so I’ll need to pull some out.