The sun is shining as we approach the end of the month - but gosh that wind is cold! I thought I would share these photos with you. I am afraid the photography isn't up to much - but I hope you will enjoy nevertheless.
Last month we had 2 moorhen in the garden and this month we have been joined by 6 delightful mallards (2 groups of 3, with 2 drakes and a duck in each group). We don't really know where they have come from but we are enjoying their company. We don't (yet) have a pond in the garden - so they have been making do with the water trough, politely taking it in turns to do their ablutions. However, as shown above, the bucket came into use today and it did make me laugh out loud. "Bottoms up!"
Wild Garlic - A Thing of Beauty
This wild garlic was stunning and the scent was incredible. Wild garlic (which is a member of the Allium family) spends most of the year as an underground bulb, only emerging to flower and leaf from April onwards. This early flowering allows it to make the most of the sunlight that is still able to reach the forest floor, before the tree canopy becomes too dense (and I think you can appreciate that from this picture).
Millions of bulbs may exist in one wood, resulting in the white, starry carpets and strong garlic smell that is so distinguishable with this flower. Wild garlic attracts the attention of many pollinating insects, including hoverflies, butterflies and longhorn beetles. It has been used in herbal medicine for aeons for the treatment of respiratory conditions. It can be eaten raw or cooked, and all parts of the plant - including the flowers, leaves and stems - are edible.
However, if I am honest, I don't forage it, much preferring to leave nature undisturbed. It is a sad fact that nowadays we have people who trample our woods and won't stick to footpaths despite being politely requested. A sign of the times!
Bonny Bluebells
Our bluebell wood looked stunning this year:
Did you know that over half of the world's population of bluebells grow in the UK? As such, they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so if you dig up a native bluebell you can be heavily fined.
(Do you know how to tell the difference between native and Spanish bluebells? You can find out more in my blog here.)
Their early flowering means they are a vital source of nectar for many moth species and also for the very rare and recently re-introduced Chequered Skipper butterfly, which has fairly recently been successfully re-introduced to prepared woodland in Northamptonshire. The Chequered Skipper needs open, sunny habitat within or on the edges of woodland. It would be amazing if we could attract it back into our woodland!
The reintroduction of the Chequered Skipper to England was part of an ambitious "Back from the Brink" conservation project, where butterflies were collected from Belgium in 2018 and 2019 and released into a Northamptonshire site by experts from Butterfly Conservation, working in partnership with Forestry England. If you would like to find out more visit the Butterfly Conservation website. In the meantime - here is a picture of a Chequered Skipper! Hopefully one day they will populate our woodland.
Your bird seed is on its way!
The new land that we have taken on this year is going to be used for growing millet for our bird seed mixes.
We are growing both red millet and white millet. Last week we drilled them both. The drilling went well and we are hoping for a good yield this year. Last year the millet really suffered because it was really cold at the end of May and we had a lot of heavy rain, both of which the millet doesn't like. That compounded with the summer drought conditions was a triple whammy for the poor millet.
We are hoping for more favourable weather this summer, however these strong north easterly winds are cold and very drying - as you can see from my photos. There is so much dust coming off the fields!
Other News - Feed Live Mealworms
This is an absolutely key time of year to be feeding live mealworms. Please note that the mealworm suppliers have changed the size (and the shape) of the tubs. Your tubs now contain 55g of live mealworms (or mini mealworms) compared to previous 40g, and they may look like a fast food takeaway!
The new tubs hold 37.5% more mealworms and the prices reflect this increase. But please keep buying live food because by offering live mealworms in your garden, you can help combat the significant decline in insects that many garden birds rely on for successful breeding.
Live foods will be readily taken by...
- Blackbirds
- House Sparrows
- Starlings
- Robins
- Wagtails
- Wrens
- Long-Tailed Tits
- Coal Tits
- Blue Tits
- Great Tits
...to feed their young in the nest and fledglings after they have left the nest.
Order Live Mealworms Here >>
Because it is still so cold out there with these powerful North Easterly winds, insects are slow to get going and so garden birds still really need high-energy foods to help them out. Don't forget our seed of the month is our best selling High Energy Fledgling Mix™ - and still on offer currently. It is always incredibly popular so we will extend the offer period for a couple more weeks to help out with hungry mouths.
Special Offer On Flutter Butter® Starter Packs! SAVE £5*
Was £14.95 and NOW only £9.95
*While Stocks Last
Flutter Butter® is a delicious high-energy, high-protein peanut butter for birds that they seem to love. If you would like to try some out - these starter packs are ideal. Each pack comes with a Flutter Butter® Hanging Feeder, one empty Flutter Butter® Pod and three Flutter Butter® 140g EcoRefills
All you have to do is peel off the lid of the refill, pop it onto the pod and screw the pod into the hanging feeder... and hang! Very easy. And you can save a whopping £5 but the offer will be on a first-come, first-served basis until our stocks have gone. And they go quickly!!
SAVE £5 on each Starter Pack Here >>>
Well, that's all from me for May - June tomorrow, who can believe it? I hope you are all keeping well and still enjoying your birds. If you do get a chance to follow us on social media - there is lots going on on Facebook and Instagram with regular news and updates. I am afraid I am probably a bit too long in the tooth to get involved with TikTok - will leave that for the next generation :)
With best wishes
Lesley
Countryside Stewardship 
