When you’re cycling uphill, you don’t usually want to stop. You lose momentum, and it’s hard to get started again. But sometimes you notice something that makes the effort worthwhile. As I pedalled from Hazel Road shore, uphill past the boarded up Yacht Tavern, towards the railway bridge on Sea Road, this stunning double dandelionContinue reading “Double Dandy, Double Delight”
Tag Archives: #wildersouthampton
It started with the Dunnock
He’s recently been singing from the crab apple in our garden. Yes, I miss hearing a Blackbird, but it occurred to me that, wow, the Dunnock is a really impressive singer. It’s time to appreciate him more. He’s inspired me to share more moments from this week that have made my heart sing. Flowers areContinue reading “It started with the Dunnock”
A bird to be treasured
“I am a blackbird, singing my song” This is what I used to hear when I opened the front door early in the morning. That is, I heard a blackbird from across the street, and the first part of his song sounded just like, “I am a blackbird”, and I added the rest (and more,Continue reading “A bird to be treasured”
Big Garden Birdwatch Plus
Twenty-five starlings, two bluetits, a wood pigeon, a magpie, two or three greenfinches …. I can more or less predict how many birds of each species I’ll see when I take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. What I’m less sure of is what they’ll be doing. And that, for me, is theContinue reading “Big Garden Birdwatch Plus”
Garden happenings, 2024.
It seemed like it was all happening in our garden last year. Here are a few of the highlights. Probably the most exciting event was seeing a leaf cutter bee using the bee hotel. I was, quite honestly, beside myself with excitement. This happened 3 weeks after I’d moved the bee hotel from one sideContinue reading “Garden happenings, 2024.”
Pollinating Peartree: Itchen Ferry Memorial Garden
Near where I live, there used to be a village called Itchen Ferry. Most of it was destroyed during World War 2, as it was close to the Supermarine factory where Spitfires were built, and now there’s a memorial with a garden. The memorial plaque states that, in 1985, pupils from class 3B at LudlowContinue reading “Pollinating Peartree: Itchen Ferry Memorial Garden”
Scaffolding as a call to action
On a Sunday morning at the end of July, I arrived home to see scaffolding going up on a house down the road. This is a house where I’d seen swifts nesting, so I was really concerned. I had to wait half an hour for the scaffolders to finish, which gave me time to thinkContinue reading “Scaffolding as a call to action”
Pollinating Peartree: The surprising popularity of the Bitterne Trough
Bitterne shopping precinct is, to be blunt, pretty lifeless. There are a few trees and shrubs at either end, but under the shrubs (seen in the background in the first photo), the ground is pretty compacted, and nothing grows. In March, I was getting increasingly concerned about the lack of flowers for pollinators, so IContinue reading “Pollinating Peartree: The surprising popularity of the Bitterne Trough”
Hedgehogs Return
A few days ago, on a dark February morning around 6 a.m., I opened my front door to see a hedgehog snuffling around the mat in the porch. He or she dashed into the shrubs at the side, but those few seconds were enough to make my day. In fact, it’s made my month! ThatContinue reading “Hedgehogs Return”
Stories from a silver birch
Christmas Day 2023: Day One of 12 Days Wild, the Wildlife Trusts winter challenge to do something wild each day. I started by sitting in the garden in the dark at 7 am with a hot chocolate, taking advantage of the quiet to listen to the birds waking up. On a normal Monday there would beContinue reading “Stories from a silver birch”
Dandelion Nature 