Sticky Willy

Moth Quiz 9

Fe stands out in Blyth and Wright
Answer:  Iron prominent

Moth Quiz 10  
This raptor is well liked in Lombardy

Trojan Horse Not Used

Moth Quiz 8 

Romulus or Remus or Castor or Pollux saw one.
Answer:   Twin-spotted Quaker

Moth Quiz 9
Fe stands out in Blyth and Wright

Fort Knox Update

Moth Quiz 7

Separates parishes on an OS map - good eyes or an eyeglass needed

Answer:    Dotted Border 

Moth Quiz 8 
Romulus or Remus or Castor or Pollux saw one.

Wash and Brush Up

Moth Quiz 6

Is this Debrett's favourite beverage? 

Answer:    Early Grey

Moth Quiz 7

Separates parishes on an OS map - good eyes or an eyeglass needed

A Very Welcome Visitor

Moth Quiz 5
Aleph, Vav, Yud, Number 1 in April.
Answer: Hebrew Character

Moth Quiz 6

Is this Debrett's favourite beverage? 

Wet stuff

Moth Quiz 4

In like a lion, out like a lamb
Answer:   March Moth 

Moth Quiz 5

Aleph, Vav, Yud, Number 1 in April.


Tuesday, April 28 

What excitement. Early yesterday morning I managed to book a delivery spot on North Walsham Sainsbury's web site. So good to make a large shop on a very easy to use site. Neighbours have been very good about shopping for us, but we don't like to ask them to get too much at a time. Lovely to be independent too.

Delivery day, Friday morning at 11- 12 o'clock 

Meale's should be delivering Alpine grit and growbags to-day. Pam found picking the tender stem broccoli very difficult last year. We're trying bags on an old two-tier strawberry frame this year. Placed outside the back door too, so very convenient.

Our Tuesday two hours out was productive. Rai and Barbara's House Martins performed for me on the way out to the car and we added Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler to the year list.

New growth ivy is a paler, softer, green, which makes it look more vulnerable than the tough, parasitic plant it lives to be. Both birds and insects love it.

 

We left home in light rain and found it to be falling very patchily (is that even a word?). Some roads dry, others wetter that at home. It had obviously increased at home after we left as a wet Adrian had already left with Sam. He was due to plant the beetroot seedlings to-day. We really need the rain after such a long dry spell, it's not enough though. Pam will have to brave it shortly as the sunflower hearts feeders are empty yet again. By far the birds' favourite, although the fat balls go quickly too.

Stop reading now David B, it's moths, many of us love them. 😉

Yesterday's moth catch was the best so far this year. 36 macro moths + 1 micro, making 19 species in all. Including the micro, a Light Brown Apple, five of them new for the year.

Cinnabar

Grey Pine Carpet

Iron Prominent

Silver Y. An immigrant

Minor Escapade

Moth Clue 3: George Fox with make-up
Answer: Powdered Quaker 

Sunday, April 26 

I've recently finished sharpening: 5 pairs of secateurs (don't ask), 1 edging shears, 1 long-handled loppers, and a billhook, using a welsh slate whetstone and oil. I don't really know what I'm doing as I'm self-taught but it seems to work. I once had a gardener laugh when I started and then nod at me when he used the newly sharpened edging shears.

I ended with black oily hands and a right arm which is having difficulty lifting my cup of tea. The whole of the time that I sat outside under the umbrella, an Orange-tip fluttered about, never stopping. How do all those people on Facebook get them to pose long enough for a photo? As for the tiny Holly Blue!

I've missed the House Martins prospecting the eaves of the house opposite again this morning. In such a dry April, we're preparing a tray of wet garden soil for them to use as nesting material. Its positioning is a bit of a problem as we want to view it and make it both viable and safe for the birds to use.

The Black-cap is singing again.

After Adrian's work on Friday, this is what the alpine bed looks like to-day.

 I asked him to take all the rocks off as weeds had embedded themselves under and around them. In the case of the limestone holey one, they'd grown through.

My new plants have arrived and will be tended in situ until the bed is ready for them. Exciting.

We had a short local ride on Friday afternoon, adding a heard only Common Whitethroat to the year list and trying to photograph a hunting male Marsh Harrier. BPW. Better photos wanted.

We had this Diptera sp in the trap on Friday but haven't managed to identify it yet. 

Yesterday, we added a new micro for the year, Acleris literana (Lichen Button) and a Shuttle-shaped Dart, also NFY.

This morning we had the appalling total of 11 moths of 8 species in three traps. One NFY, Angle Shades. which was very camera shy and escaped.

 I've also planted the two cucumber plants in the lean-to greenhouse. The white powder around the base is the only non-organic garden material I use. It's a wood louse killer. Without it, the stems are eaten through.

Pam's flower plants look really good and my latest veggie ones are trying their best.

Moth Quiz 4

In like a lion, out like a lamb