The sun continues to shine in rural Bedfordshire, bathing our UK HQ in glorious golden rays.
Many of the hundreds of staff that work here, including me, enjoy our lunch hour by lazing out in the beautiful gardens we're luckily enough to have here. One place that's always busy though is the wildlife pond.
Back when The Lodge was a stately home, this was a swimming pool! However, the only lengths you'll see these days come from our dazzling dragonflies.
Twisting and turning, an emperor darts this way and that as he patrols his pond. Occasionally landing on the reeds, rushes and other water loving plants now inhabiting the pond, it's clear he's in charge!
But it's not just dragonflies that need water during this dry spell. Birds, mammals other insects are also rely upon a reliable fresh water source.
So if you've not built that pond yet, why not think about it? Whatever the size of your garden, you'll be able to fit something in, even if it's just an upturned dustbin lid! In this heat, it's really helpful if you could put out water.
There's loads of helpful advice on ponds pages, and why not have a look at Giving Nature a Home too?
Have a great weekend everybody! And don't forget to let us know if you're digging a pond, or what your favourite visitor is. Can you beat Katie's kingfisher from a couple of weeks ago?
For more on our science, check out the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science web pages.
My pond is only just a year old, and the plants have only been in for a few months, but already we've had diving beetles, pond skaters and whirligig beetles move in, the snails we put in have had a ton of babies, we've spotted our first frog, and Common Darters, Azure Damselflies, a Broad-bodied Chaser and Southers Hawkers have been spotted around the pond. In the past fortnight a number of chasers have hatched, leaving their larvae cases like alien pods amongst the grasses.
For anyone thinking of building a pond, I would say GO FOR IT! Seeing how the plants establish, then kneeling by the side watching the water teeming with wildlife is better than telly! :D
A closed mouth gathers no foot.