stinking bob

When the canopy closes in the bluebells begin to fade away as other more vigorous plants like buttercups, ferns and grasses outgrow them. At about this time herb robert becomes much more prolific. Probably named after the Latin for red (ruber), its stems and leaves turn a fiery red as the summer wears on and the doctrine of signatures led to the plant being used to treat a variety of blood disorders. Some people find the smell of the leaves unpleasant hence its other nickname.

lanes

the lanes have finally achieved their full summer livery and the canopy has closed in; just as the sun disappears for another 4 weeks.

bullfinch blues

adding a bit of colour to the niger seed holder. Bull finches are rare visitors to our bird feeders, but this year we have had regular visits from a pair of them. I guess they are nesting nearby. They are very shy birds so it is a treat to get a good view of one.

martinville

meanwhile, round at the front of the house the martins have returned en masse and are quickly renovating or rebuilding the old nests. The pesky sparrows (top right) are intent on stealing the vacant sites but at the moment the martins are winning the battle for once. It has taken the martins a month since they returned to start nesting, presumably because it has been cold and wet and they need to build up their body mass before starting breeding.

the great escape

The two chicks left the nest on the morning of 23 May, ie 3 days ago. The picture at the top is the last one of them in the box. You can almost hear them, "You go first", "No, after you", "No, after you". In that amazing away that nature has, after 23 days in a small wooden box, they flew out into a totally different world and survived. The middle photo is later that morning on their very first flight, the juvenile tufts are still just visible, and the bottom photo was today, three days later. So they have survived so far.

helpful signs 1041

the church at St.Mary's, Ashbury (not Bratton Clovelly) in deepest Devon, and below the good ladies of Latchley (well, Lamerhooe really but it is the little village of Latchley in the background).