Heron looking for early breakfast

Although I consider myself very fortunate in living where I do there is the odd downside. Perhaps the greatest of these is the fact that my garden is detached from the cottage so that I don't directly overlook it. This of course could be a deciding factor against purchase in the mind of a prospective buyer should I ever put it on the market - not that I have any intentions in that direction I hasten to add!

A near neighbour and friend though doesn't have my problem - she can step straight into her garden from her back door. But even better, her bedroom window with a low sill gives a lovely view over the lawn, flower beds and pond. The last named in fact can't be more than 20 feet away so it was with huge delight a few days ago and early in the morning (about 6 am apparently) that she a heron glide in to land by the pond! Now herons seem to like to be up and about at the crack of dawn looking for a tasty breakfast. My friend tried to move as stealthily as she could to get her camera but sadly she was noticed and the heron took off and was away. Perhaps a frog has been able to live for another day! No fish in her pond but plenty of amphibians. Quite some time ago she had seen a heron perched atop a holly tree in her garden that was fairly close to the pond and she said it was quite comical to see it on that particular species!

I have a pond, much smaller than my friends one, rather murky at the moment I'm afraid but happily always produces a few dragonflies. Like my friend I don't have fish in the pond and though I like fish in the same way that I like all wildlife I just cannot get any enthusiasm for buying some to go in a garden pond. Much better in my opinion to try and provide suitable habitats in the garden for a variety of creatures and hope some move in. Whether Mr Heron has paid my little pond a visit I know not but I have had grass snakes slither their way up to the pond and they are fairly spectacular when full grown in my opinion.

Presumably quite a few people with garden ponds have had herons turn up looking for an easy breakfast but at such an early hour these wonderful birds haven't been noticed perhaps.

Waiting for the butterflies

The weather today has been a mixture of cloud and sun so far and very close. So it has been good enough this afternoon to do some gardening but to avoid getting overwhelmed by my hay fever I've come indoors to do a bit of quick blogging.

My buddleia davidii at the back of the patio is looking a picture and I really enjoy the scent especially after it has rained. But as yet I haven't seen a butterfly on it. Worryingly these beautiful insects seem to be getting scarcer all the time. Having said that the red admirals, peacocks, painted ladies and small tortoiseshells usually come toward the end of the flowering period of this particular bush and I need to be patient perhaps. At least there are quite a few ringlet butterflies on the wing at the moment.

Still on the wildlife theme I have heard reports of good sightings of peregrines in the Valley recently but I have been missing them unfortunately. Also a heron has been spotted very early in the morning, there are numerous garden ponds in the area for it take an interest in.