Wild life in the garden, or around!

Looks rather dung-beetleish

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Ours haven’t turned up for the last two years Dave :worried:

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Hoopoe. Snap!!!

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It could be but it seems a bit “bright”…they are on my hazels…the neighbouring field at certain times of the year has several cattle on it…I’ve been a bit sleepless the last three days as the farmer put two freisans on there who have done nothing but bellow and cry…I think it’s a beef farm rather than dairy but they have sounded so distressed and mournful that I can’t help thinking their calves have been taken away…,A calf was born in the field at the bottom of my garden today…whisked away in a tractor but then the mother was guided back to the cowshed…maybe they get to spend some time with their calves before separation…Equally I could have totally misinterpreted the situation…

There’s always at least one here. I’ve never taken a good photo as I hide behind windows and use a long lens to stop them taking off. I’ve got lots of photos just none I’m proud of.
I do like this one my son took on his phone last year though.

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Hi!

In case it’s useful, I’m posting an excerpt from an article that I particularly like that advises on pruning your older lavender:

“The timing of pruning for older plants is much more important than for first year plants. In the spring as soon as the plants begin to show green colour, any dead material should be removed. The plants can be lightly pruning at this time to remove any damaged branches or to lightly shape plants affected by winter kill. Aggressive pruning in the spring is not recommended because the developing flower buds will be present on the new growth. In addition, the new growth after pruning appears to be more susceptible to spring freezes, and damage can be increased by early pruning.”

Excerpted from the article at this website: https://onspecialtycrops.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/lavender-pruning-the-key-to-healthy-plants/

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Even your phone is better than mine… :hugs:

Thank you very much Mary :rose:

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Really good for a tablet I reckon. I can quite imagine we will all be throwing our cameras in the bin in the not too distant future.

A glow worm? I have a lot of photographs just like that one… 3 or 4 years ago there were so many in my garden I could scarcely believe it, amazing.

Hi Vero… I’ve been finding them every year for some time. I do a slug & snail patrol every night and yesterday was the first time this year that the “glow” was shining…

There is a patch on our terraces, I leave a little rough, for the wildlife and for the glow worms… :relaxed:


Hoopoe on the kitchen window.

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I’ve been hearing the hoopoes, but not seen them in next door’s garden yet… they look so odd… and the way their wings dip and flow when they fly… almost as if they are double-jointed… lovely…:relaxed:

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Reminds me of mealtimes when the kids were young.

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Great pic Chris, what is it, cricket? grasshopper?

A cricket…I think?

Wot I thought too, nearest, in ‘me book’, female ‘bush cricket’, no expert mind you :slightly_smiling_face:

Extremely rare nesting cow…

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