Ringlet butterfly and other garden visitors

The sunny weather has been ideal for butterfly watching and as usual we have had several species visit our garden this year.

The most recent was a comma butterfly last Saturday.


One of the most recent and uncommon visitor to our garden is the ringlet butterfly.

This one is feeding on the blackberry flowers next to our pond.


The most common visitor is the speckled wood and then red admiral and then gatekeeper. A few small tortoiseshell and this year only a few painted lady so far (back in May) but maybe more to come from the second generation.


Small white butterflies are also fairly common visitors. Out of the blue butterflies (that settle) the holly blue is most common in our garden.

Second Flying Ant Day

Following a flying ant day on 7th July, mainly the nest on our rockery, we have just had another flying ant day this evening. This is the nuptial flight, the larger queens leave the best pursued soon after by the smaller males - survival of the fittest.

This time the main focus was nest sites in our front garden and under the paving slabs of the path outside our house. The above, mainly smaller males, on our front path.

Not a surprise as the last 4 years I have been taking part in the Flying Ant Day survey the 'Royal Society of Biologists' - plotting flying ant days across the country.

A couple of queen ants.


As part of the public involvement they encouraged unusual pictures and managed a close up of a queen sighting on the end of my finger and I try to  better it each year.

Sadly not so good this year. However it does help trying to photograph a queen in flight.

The field ants nest appears to have moved from our garden this year as they came up out of the pavement outside our house.

Please to see they have not gone far.

As always, many of the ants don't make it very far and those that do run the gauntlet of the gulls, swifts and other birds.

Frog in our living room

Got up this morning to find this common frog in our living room.

We have been leaving the conservatory doors open until quite late so it must have hopped in when no one was looking.


Not sure why it was attracted to the bag - maybe it thought that the colours where flowers and would be a good place to hide.

I carefully picked up the frog (with damp hands) and placed it back in the pond area.

Herring gull mobbing buzzard

The herring gull chicks have taken to wandering around on the roof tops and some have even taken to the air. The adults are much less tolerant of potential intruders including the occasional buzzard that glides over our garden.

Several gulls wheel around with raucous cries while one herring gull repeatedly mobs the buzzard until it has been chased out of range.

Goldfinches take a bath

A noise family of stunning goldfinches visited our bird bath for a drink and a good splash on a sunny and hot afternoon.

 The goldfinches took it in turns to bathe

I saw at least 3 juveniles (bird to the right above) but it was difficult to count the entire family as they flew in and out of the buddleia bush.


Afterwards the goldfinches retired to the branches for a preen

Herring gull chicks test flight

All around my home there is the sound of demanding herring gull chicks as their are several nests nearby. I also keep a close on the nest, on the roof tops behind our bungalow, between the stacks of the chimney.

They have reared three chicks, perfectly camouflaged on the roof tops.

Today they have started to practice flight in earnest, leaping from the ridge of the roof and landing further down the tiles, before marching back up to the top and having another go.

As soon as one of the chicks start to exercise its wings, the parents go into defence mode, shouting at anyone or anything that come close.

Or dives on any potential intruder