Butterflies and bees....

Yes, there is still a bit of colour out there Linda, but the temperatures are definitely dropping. I hope your knee operation comes along sooner rather than later and that your back enjoying your garden really soon.

Nov 5th Waddy, not long to go now. I am becoming a bionic woman.....

We haven't seen a hedgehog for years, not since the big heath fire of '76. Envy you seeing several.

It's so sad reading that the animals I took for granted as a child are now not so often seen.

We definitely have fewer birds around also.

Hedgehogs are in decline sadly and we try to take care of them here. We have small holes in the fences so that they can get through to different gardens. We haven't seen the Blackbirds or thrushes since the beginning of the summer.

Yes, i envy your hedgehogs too Linda. Did you see the one on the cover of the Countryfile Calendar? Looks like it is laughing...fabulous picture of a very endearing creature..

On this side, I have seen very few honey bees and for the second year in a row, none of the paper nest social wasps, and just a few solitary spider hunter wasps. The paper nest wasps, Polistes, used to dip into my ponds by the hundreds, to get water for making paper.

We will have new neighbours soon Linda, they're moving into Donald's house and are keen to put a through fare between our garden and theirs to allow a hog to pass through. I'll keep you posted. Hope all goes well on the 5th.

The Parsnips definitely taste better after a frost or two.I've missed mine the last two years(because of moving ) but will definitely be growing some next year.
It has been quite a bit chillier here this week but, still lovely for so far into October!

Hi Karen that picture was great of the hedgehog.
Loosestrife2 It's either the weather or something to do with spraying. There certainly haven't been a lot of flies or as many spiders, or general insects. They are the food chain of other creatures. A bit worrying really.
Great that your neighbours are going to put a highway for hedgehogs in Waddy. Hope some of the other neighbours do the same.
Paul, you are right about the frost on the parsnips, they taste sweeter.

Roast parsnips - the thought alone is enough to make you hungry! No hedgehogs round here as there are badgers.
We've had lots of small tortoishells this year since the little buddleja flowered, but hardly any white ones - they usually shred the nasturtiums but not this year. Good news your neighbours are hedgehog minded Waddy.

Stera I love roast parsnips and roast carrots. Badgers eat the hedgehogs, they started to dig up our garden so that's why we put the barrier up under the gate.

Linda I did not realise that badgers ate hedgehogs!! no wonder we never see any, one of our neighbours has the largest sett in his garden I and Rural England has ever seen, and now at long last the badgers are going to be moved on.....they leave behind several destroyed gardens and fences, we will be pleased to see them go...
I only wish we had the ground to grow veg, so enjoy those lovely parsnips and carrots...
Good luck with the knee, I am going through the same with both my knees, and it is such a pain lol

Lindak, you are lucky you can close off the entry point! Our garden is accessible from all sides so we can't do anything.

Hi DD Yes the badgers dug up one or two gardens here. I suppose they have to survive somewhere and we have taken over their space with our houses. Thanks for your thoughts about my knee. Pre op next week......done it all once before so know what to expect. Know what you mean about it all being a pain...
Sterra it's a shame you get invaded. There seem to be quite a few Badgers around now. Even where we lived down the road several years ago, the owners get them in the garden now from the land across the road. We never saw one when we lived down there and we had hedgehogs about in the garden.

Interesting how different creatures seem to take it in turns to be successful.

I love the wildlife Stera.

Me too. Just regret that we never actually see the badgers, just their footprints and scrape marks where they unearth bulbs...

Is it worth putting some peanuts down for them? Perhaps they wouldn't dig for worms then...worth a try???

They aren't digging for worms, its bulbs they like. Latest victim was a patch of grape hyacinths - no great loss as I'd moved them to a rough grass bank where they could spread if they wanted to. I bet if I started peanut feeding they'd bring the family as well...They like tulips as well but don't seem to bother about daffodils, thank goodness.

Gosh that could get expensive Stera if they eat all the bulbs, and messy with all the digging from the Badgers.