The Birds and Bee's.

The colder and wetter weather of the past few months will have benefited some wildlife and will also have been bad for others. Certainly this year I have seen fewer butterflies and dragonflies. However, their emergence is often triggered by factors such as temperature as well as the amount of daylight. The overcast and cool  temperatures we are experiencing will certainly inhibit some wildlife.

When compared to last year we have detected far fewer bats in the evenings than we did at this time last year. The overnight rain will certainly keep them in their roosts as will the reduction in available insect prey species. So what has done well. Mallards for instance seem to have raised their broods despite the worst of the weather. The wet weather has also been good for many canal side and wetland mosses and plants. The countryside seems to be booming with nettles, Foxglove, bracken and brambles.

I know that some of our friends have already started to feed garden birds much earlier this year. Some garden birds are apparently struggling to find enough food for their young. If you want to feed the birds in your area - mealworms (available in most pet shops) would be the best source of food at this time. Fat balls and crushed seed and seed kernels would also be good.

Butterflies, bees, hoverflies and moths are certainly scarce in the prevailing wet conditions. So I assume there is a carry over to other insect life. Wildlife desperately needs some sustained sunshine, particularly to help the numbers of beneficial insects such as bees. Plus all the other insects that form part of the food web.

I am crossing my now webbed fingers and toes for a sunnier and warmer August.

Later....