another episode from Dr Doolittle's handbook

He can even charm the heath fritillaries out of the trees. There were a lot of heath fritillaries about today.

hedgerows

hemp agrimony about to flower - reputedly a rough medicine, or an ointment when mixed with hog's lard.

the scorpion fly returns

this is the common scorpion fly (identified instantaneously thanks to the experts at wild about Britain see link) in a clump of brambles. The scorpion bit refers to its tail appendage but is not very obvious in these photos. The head reminds me of Star Wars: the clone wars

an occasional visitor

great spotted woodpecker, one of my favourite but only very occasional visitors to the garden

the slightest thing

a green lacewing (chrysopa perla I think) in amongst the grasses and sorrel. The pollen was coming off the grasses in the meadows in great clouds today. And there was a great flash of blue as a kingfisher flew past chinking as it went like two coins knocked together.

a small skipper

the small skipper (male with little black bands on wings), quite common at this time of year but frisky and can be difficult to catch on camera