Spring flower extravaganza
April, as you know, was a complete wash-out for practically everything. However, now May has arrived, catch-up has begun.
Posts from the ‘minimeadow’ Category
May 6, 2012
peterjmayhew
Last dregs of summer
Gorgeous weather the last few days has had us cutting the mini-meadow (always a great celebration), and enjoying the last insects of the year.
Goldfinches in the mini-meadow
I haven’t recorded much in the way of macro-fauna in the mini-meadow. A frog is present every year when I cut the hay. A hedgehog visits, judging from the trails through the grass and droppings left behind. So it was nice today to boost that number to three species.
High summer- betony, butterflies and bottoms up
It’s been a glorious week. Lots of new flowers out, and insects on them.
Bees
One of my June pleasures is bee-watching in the front garden; or, as I famously coined after a bit too much beer, meadow-tating. Here’s a selection of what was there today.
June in the Mini-Meadow
June is the best month by far in the mini-meadow, simply because it’s when the largest number of species bloom together. Here’s what’s on display right now.
Elderflower picking in Acaster Malbis
Went for a great walk today on what is rapidly becoming my favourite jaunt from home: across the fields to Acaster Malbis and back along the river. The “purpose” of this was to collect elderflowers for cordial. But it turned out to be much better than that.
Fritillary season is here
I know I did this last year, but why not celebrate something so great every year? Here are the mini-meadow frits in the front garden, looking their splendid selves. Enjoy! The queen bumblebees do!
My first Tansy beetles. Wow.
Tansy beetles (see link here) are colourful, but otherwise rather ordinary leaf beetles, except for one little fact; the banks of the river Ouze near York is the only place they can be found in the UK, and they’re declining.
Red-tailed bumblebees: the perfect cure for World-Cup blues.
If like me you wandered out into the sunshine on Sunday afternoon feeling as if a camel had sat on you, then you may like to know that ten minutes later I was feeling a whole lot better thanks to bees and flowers.
