Going Wild in the garden

It’s not always possible to get out and about in the wild, sometimes it pays to just stay home. I have spent ages watching the birds go backwards and forwards gathering food, cleaning themselves and basically just doing what birds do. The wood pigeons have only just decided to start nest-building. And the swallows, are there more this year, or do I just notice more?

And bees. So many different bees. A bee was just a bee to me.

One sort of bee.

And another sort of bee, actually there were three different bees on the mock orange. But one flew away without his selfie! Said this wildlife photography was difficult. Nature just doesn’t cooperate.

At least this bee in the honeysuckle stayed put. And then of course it RAINS. We need rain, what can you do ,but wait for it to stop and take rain drop pictures. On the Lupin.

On the peony, my best effort. Shortly after this, I did some weeding. Now I have noticed that bees prefer the wildflowers to the garden flowers, says a lot about garden flowers, “Which do you prefer Mrs Bee, vetch or lupin?” “Vetch please”.  Sorry Mr E! ( For those who don’t know Mr E favours a city park look with dahlias in neat rows!)

Anyway I was weeding, goose grass. yes it brought me out in a rash, and the garden nemesis bindweed. I disturbed a frog who liked the overgrown wilderness, thank you very much. Don’t know who jumped further me or the frog.

I am beginning to think I won’t survive this challenge, but at least the sun is out again! In case you are wondering about the heat wave and why no mention, I am in catch up mode on blogging about 30 days wild, too busy getting out there in the world!

Wild about town!

Pickering really is quite remarkable, a steam railway and a fabulous Castle on the doorstep. Time to see what I could see at the Castle, stand by for my best ever wildlife photo, or not!

There are Kestrels nesting in this wall of the  Kings Tower. See them? Told you it was not my best picture. There is a telescope set up on the moat side below. I looked and looked. No Joy. A Yummy Mummy and her off spring came and they looked. “Oh look” says Yummy Mummy “I can see the babies and  a kestrel feeding them. ” The children couldn’t see them either. I rest my case.

The view from the Castle of Beacon Hill is jolly nice, the hill is at the back of our house. No you can’t see our house, but it is a nice view, don’t you think?

You can just about make out the sheep. You do have to peer a bit. Anyway after that I took myself down to the Quaker Community Garden. It is so lovely there, peaceful and pretty, and there is a grass maze to scamper round. A chap returning tables to the meeting-house encouraged me to have a go, and as no-one was looking I did it barefoot. And nothing attacked me.

I may spend the rest of this 30 day wild challenge sat on the bench, safer that way!

 

Getting Wild- the 30 day challenge

I started off my challenge to go into the wild every day for 30 days, quietly, exploring the local area, getting into the garden for at least 15 minutes every day, and just looking at what is here on my doorstep. And what a surprise I had, whoever knew that Pickering had its own millennium wood, not me for sure. A new walk.

Keld Head a natural pond/lake , where we used to collect frog spawn as children. I don’t need to do that now as we have a pond teeming with tadpoles/frogs.

Along the river bank. There were three teenage girls jumping off the bridge into the river, I queried whether it  was deep enough and they said yes, I didn’t want to come over as a spoil sport so left it at that. Still don’t think it was a good idea. Should I have said more? They were being wild!

Further along the environment agency is doing their stuff and having a dredge. I think it needed it. Deep enough?

And there we have it , our very own millenium Wood

pond with fish. If you think this is a bad picture I took worse!

Chestnut tree candle!

Yellow vetch with bee

Butterfly.

Back at the start of our walk, super foxgloves and lupins planted by the roadside. Hope you enjoyed the walk.