S'been raining plenty, the last couple of days, so I've been updating my SCUBA blog instead of braving the grey skies. Out in the garden today, between showers, I found this newly hatched "White ermine" moth before its wings had properly unfolded. I put it under a leaf to shelter from the rain until they opened and then took another photo. I've collected photos of quite a few species of moth, over the years, but this year I really should get a moth trap to find some more.




























A sparrowhawk has been taking some of the young birds around the garden, and a magpie took one of the young greenfinches yesterday.
I'm pretty sure that the tawny owls are not breeding now. Shame really, cos there is plenty of prey around. I watched a wood mouse at dusk yesterday for about 5 mins.
The hedgerow coming from the owl corner, now houses quite a few families. The crow is still on her eggs (she nested at the other end of the same hedgerow last year). The robins have nested on the ground below the great tits nestbox. The blue tits have 9 eggs in the box, 100 meters from there and I'm pretty sure that the bat boxes are in use too. A male blackcap was singing from the brambles today and I hear the bullfinches call from the hedgerow on a daily basis. Its a hive of activity!