As well as my own perambulations around my own garden and those of others, I like to try and keep up with stories in the national press that are relevant to us wildlife gardeners. So here are the headlines from the last few months:
The shape of British summers to come?Various of the papers reported the prediction that the wet, cloudy summer we have had could become something of a fixture in future years due to the melting ice in Greenland shifting weather patterns. Certainly the unusually wandering jetstream this summer showed what an influence it has on our weather - and our gardening.
Deadly worm poses threat to hedgehogs (17 August)The Daily Telegraph reports that the "Wildlife Aid Foundation has highlighted the presence of a new threat to hedgehogs: the Thorny-headed Worm. This parasite is allegedly killing hedgehogs in some numbers". I'm always nervous when an article says 'some numbers' - does that mean two? Two thousand?
No ban on pesticides that 'threaten bees' (7 September)The Independent reports that nerve-agent pesticides (these so-called neonicitinoids) are not going to be banned in Britain despite four separate scientific studies strongly linking them to sharp declines in bees around the world
And finally, over to the Daily Mirror for its giant mutant slugs (14 September). Apparently, "giant Spanish slugs that invaded Britain are mating with native ones to create a mutant superslug capable of wreaking crop havoc". When they say giant, think the size of a small seal. You're going to need a very large beer trap.
And I can't leave a blog without a photo, so here is my own news - my first Painted Lady of the year. And I'll let you identify which wonderful plant it is on...