Garden time...

After spending three full days birding last weekend it was time to concentrate on getting the garden back in shape this weekend, even if it did mean missing out on Avocet, Turnstone and Honey Buzzard at Willington today! As soon as I get home from work tomorrow I’m off to Willington; even if nothing has been reported during the day, I’ll be going anyway.

So, this weekend. Well, whilst I was at work yesterday morning Lynda made another visit to the garden centre and came home with a car full of plants again. As soon as I got home I grabbed a trowel and a tray or two of plants and got stuck in to planting the front garden - okay, so I stood and watched whilst Lynda planted the front garden! Lynda makes a much better job of it than I do. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! In my defence I did actually plant one or two plants and I was on hand to fetch and carry for Lynda when needed.

One of the front garden borders.

Today we set about sorting out the back garden. As well as all the summer bedding that needed planting there were five or six shrubs that needed a haircut, the lawn needed raking and mowing, the bird feeders needed topping up and at the end of it all everything needed a good watering. It sounds a lot but it only took us around seven hours! I can’t wait to get to work tomorrow - for a rest!

Views of the rear garden.

During the course of the day I did manage to get in just a little birding... two Goldfinch flew over, the Sparrowhawk flew down the street and a Crow caused chaos when it showed a little too much interest in a Starling nest. Whilst Lynda and I worked in the back garden we were constantly visited by four or five different Blackbirds, numerous House Sparrows, a single Blue Tit, a couple of Collard Dove and a baby Dunnock. Two Field Mice also helped out by clearing up any seed that the birds had dropped! It doesn’t quite make up for missing out on a trip to Willington but it eases the pain just a little!

One of the Blackbirds comes for more fruit.

A Collard Dove turns up for his lunch.

One of the mice thinks that it can't be seen!

My final little task of the afternoon was to put up my butterfly and bee feeding station. It’s a great little thing - all you do is soak the foam roll in a sugar and water, or honey and water mix, and place it in a sunny spot close to garden plants. I chose to use honey because it sounds like a much nicer meal to me!

All we need now is some sunshine and for the temperature to pick up again so that all the new plants can start and grow and the butterflies can take to the wing again. One or two nice warm summer evenings would be good too, so that I can sit out in the garden with a beer!

The butterfly feeder.