Outside the back door

He's letting you know which boots he likes best. I see what he's doing there - looking like a snake head. Clever little guy with fashion sense.

Really lovely blog Honeysuckle.

I don't remember ever seeing one Honey, he's a cute one and obviously has good taste, I still have my pink ones that went on Terra's Wellie blog all those years back, I now have a new pair with Westie's on them but they are for Westie Walks not gardening, lol... Your garden is a haven for all creatures isn't it, just be careful with that wheelbarrow, wouldn't be the first time I've upended myself and I don't have holes like you do, just a few different levels to manoeuvre over, lol...

Great blog. You have so much wildlife! Molly is being driven crazy with rodents right now because the Wheat has been harvested behind the house and they are all homeless. She killed another Mole last week. She has her uses.

Lovely blog and great to have elephant hawkmoth in your garden. We used to get them in our Devon garden and I loved them, not in n.yorks though! I
I just found this info...in case you have some rosebay willowherb or Himalaya balsam lurking in your garden ;-)
Food Plants
Rosebay Willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium), other willowherbs, bedstraws (Galium), Enchanter’s Nightshade, fuchsias and Himalyan Balsalm ().

I must admit Bathgate that the boots are not really me, I'm not a 'pink' person, but as they were there and at my age it's no point in hoarding too much (she says!!) they now get worn, though I never feel comfortable in them, more like a child dressing up! Was he there because they were warm in the sun, or just a coincidence that I happened to see him there?

Thanks for reading it Kate, my blogs do tend to ramble on mostly, so this one was more succinct.

I haven't seen the wellies with Westies on them Lincslass, they must be something special. I do have a deep purple pair with Lavendar on them which live in the car for when I am out and about. I can't believe how many holes there are now in the grass! Used to be a few here and there, now they spread across the majority of the various grass bits, all interconnected underground and DEEP! I shove a spade into one run and is disappeared half way up the blade, so it will be more than a bucket full of earth to fill them in. As for the caterpillar, I knew we had lots of moths about as in the evening if you go out and the lights come on - there they all are, closely followed by the swooping bats which live in the bat boxes. Probably Pipestrelles, the little ones, though my neighbour found a Long-eared bat, so they are about as well. Never seen the Hawk moth itself, hopefully it won't become food for the bats.

We haven't got a Molly to keep the mice and voles down Karen, though there is a cat which sits up on the field in the evenings, could be a feral cat or one from further down the road. It sits and watches the ground, as I watch it, so is probably after the mice and voles up there. It doesn't seem to pay any attention to the rabbits though. It could thin some of them out for me! There is also a mole up on the field, with a few runs visible in the rough grass. But as we are on such heavy clay I feel sorry for them! I think if it has ploughed it's way through really heavy clay and found something softer, it deserves to be left alone. Perhaps I wouldn't be quite so happy if it rampaged through the flower beds!

Thanks for the info Resinone about the food plants. I knew it liked Rosebay willow herb and though I have some dotted about, there's not a lot of it. Perhaps I will plant some up on the field, a nice bed of that would look pretty without seeding all about the garden. I do have some Lady's Bedstraw which I planted with the hope of attracting the Hummingbird Hawk Moth as it is one of their food plants. I have only ever seen one of those, on Bedstraw along the coast of Norfolk here, but you can live in hope. Now I know that the Elephant Hawk moth also likes it, all the more reason to grow it. Don't think I have any Enchanter's Nightshade as this is very invasive, but did know they would sometimes be found on Fuschias which is why he got plonked into the middle of them. Hopefully he will pupate there. I do sometime find pupae as I am weeding and they get tucked back underground away from foraging beaks.

The local community was up in arms a few weeks back as someone in the village next to Rutland Water had put a photograph of an Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar on a local wildlife site, someone else spotted a lady removing it, right old hoo-ha there was, however the lady came on and explained that she writes and photographs for a magazine, had only taken it away to take some shots of it and would return it to where it was found, I haven't heard any complaints lately so hopefully she did actually do that...

Elephant hawk moth caterpillars are Great, and this one is surely smiling! But coming from a town where rosebay wilowherb grew in profusion on every bomb site after the war (yes I remember it clearly...)there was far too much of it everywhere to ever encourage it into the garden! But have both Enchanters Nightshade and fuchsias so its not all bad - we did have one once!. Nice to know that Himalayan Balsam is a food plant too.

Isn't it amazing Lincslass that people now take so much interest in even the smallest of wildlife. Not too many decades ago they would be catching them and pinning them to collectors boards rather than complaining that someone had stolen one! Long may it continue, not so sure about the Chris Packham thing about not shooting pigeons or corvids, they do so much damage in the countryside and piegeons breed most of the year, something has to be done to keep them in check. Years ago they would be eaten - well the pigeons anyway.

The countryside always had lots of willowherb Stera, not so much now on the verges due to spraying of the crops, but it's a tough old bird! You say you have Enchanter's nightshade, I read it was very invasive and almost impossible to get rid of, is yours? I don't need another really invasive plant, I already have ground elder and bindweed!

we get elephant hawk moths on hairy willow herb too, found several the other day when weeding the willow herb out. thinned it and left some at the back. also have the enchanters nightshade too. sadly too much of that for comfort.

Glad that you get the Elephant hawk moths Seaburn, sad that everything needs help these days (except pigeons which multiply regardless) and that you left them some to snack on. Still not sure about wanting the Enchanters nightshade though, however much I want to help!

Good to be able to read your interesting blog just a pity I`m unable to see any of your photo`s.

I follow David Attenborough but personally think Chris Packham goes too far sometimes, there is a very fine line to cross as regards saving our planet, wildlife and suchlike, always two sides to consider Honey, we are gradually getting it right though, one only has to hear the youngsters talking about the gardens and suchlike that they are encouraging now in the schools and local communities to know that....

Oops your photos have gone now??? When I wrote my comment the weasel photos weren't showing but the rest was, now they're all gone..

Honeysuckle the enchanters nightshade does creep around but it is very easy to uproot and I try not to let it seed. Its in an area not more than two square yards and mostly under a big Ceanothus - I just pull some out when I see it . It has bright white roots quite near the surface so in this garden at least its not much trouble. And I do love its name...

Oh Stoller and Resinone! This is like a wormhole or other-worldly thing! The photo's are back today, perhaps they will stay, or be gone again another day - how weird!

It is terrific that the children do seem to be taking such an interest in all things nature Lincslass. After all it is them that will have to live through and repair the decades of destruction wrought everywhere. I would like to see the appeals centred more on repairing our countryside and urban areas than the massive appeals for overseas. I know it's more interesting to think you are saving an Elephant, Tiger or Whale than a UK slow-worm, Natterjack toad or obscure bug, but they are just as important.

I agree Stera that the name is half it's appeal, witchcraft, magic and such! If it doesn't mind growing under things and it's easy to remove, I might give it a go. Have to have lots of native plants for the bugs, butterflies etc. No good giving them nectar rich flowers without giving them somewhere to breed!