Note from Andrew Beach - Pat's Husband: I regret to say that my
beloved wife passed away in November 2013. As you will know if you have
read her blog posts she was truly in love with nature and enjoyed
sharing this love with others through these posts. This post was
prepared but not published which I now do in her memory. It may not be
complete but this is how she left it, so how it shall be.
Summer has arrived with avengance. Its hot!!
Lots of young in the garden still and the hedgehog is still coming but I haven't seen any babies sadly.
Thursday 11th - Sunday 14th. Thorny lakes Somerset
Its a larger site than we normally pick and we set up in the area with most shade from the trees.
Friday Andrew goes for a walk and sees roe deer, guinea fowl, dragonflies,damsel flies and butterflies. We both go down to the lake later when it has cooled down a little. Men are fishing on the lake side and a lady is painting beautiful feathers she has picked up off the ground. A magnificent cockerel greets us on our side of the pond.
Old English Game Fowl (Gallus domestic) have been here for 2,000 years originally kept for fighting. Today the breed is mainly kept for exhibition.
Dragonflies zoom over the pond and the guinea fowl are still around. Butterflies flit around us on the walk back to the van.
Back at the van aeroplanes fly over head in preparation for tomorrows air show. While we are having tea the field we passed with all the butterflies is being mowed I'm disappointed as I planned to chase butterflies while Andrew is at the airshow tomorrow.
The next day proves to be very hot so I sit by the van reading and watching bees, butterflies and swallows flying around. Down at the pond later we see the guinea fowl roosting in a tree making lots of noise when anyone goes near. The kingfisher gives a brief appearance while a heron stays a little longer.
20th They are saying it maybe the driest, hottest July for 250 years.
23rd Thunder and Lightening and half of July's rainfall in one storm.
In June 2012 My eldest came home with a caterpillar, well today (24th) he has come home with a caterpillar saying it can't fly. After I take a picture I put it outside on a flower, later it has gone. I hope it has flown off and not been eaten.
