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

Snowdrops are pretty where they appear, but they’re not increasing, and some clumps have died out.

Cyclamen hederifolium are doing well. Should I divide them and spread them around or let them get on with it?

I could do with some more ordinary Hellebores. The ones doing best at the moment are some pale picotee varieties which I don’t like so much.

I’ve seen a few frogs and one couple, but no frogspawn. Isn’t it rather late?

Humming-bird Hawk-moth on salvia ‘Phyllis’ Fancy’  in pot near pond at 10:30 this morning. Weather fine and sunny after a lot of recent rain.

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

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.

This one is 8mm in diameter, and probably Planorbarius corneus I actually first saw them last weekend. I wonder how they got here

Seen near NE corner in shallows

First signs of snowdrop flowers. Small but perfectly formed. There’s scope for lots more, particularly round large herbaceous perennials, like thalictrums, which have now been cut right back.

First frogs seen in pond. A cwtch of three.

First tadpoles seen today swimming about. About half the frogspawn looks as though it survived the big freeze.