It’s been raining most of the day, but that’s not a bad thing – the garden has really needed it! I have a small garden but I have a few water sources, including a bucket pond for wildlife. So far, I haven’t caught any mammals like hedgehogs visiting, but it does attract the odd insect including beautiful damselflies, such as this common blue damselfly that I recorded in my field journal.
During an insect day I was running for a school last year, an 8 year old gave me a great way to remember the difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly: the dragonfly sits with its wings out stretched like a dragon in flight, while the damselfly sits with its wings along its back like the hair of a girl (or a damsel) – what a great tip! You’re never too old to learn, or too young to teach.
The UK experienced a really sunny and dry May, so making sure you have appropriate water sources in your garden is really important and a mini pond is really easy to create. I followed a guide on the Wildlife Trusts’ website. All you need is a bucket or an old sink, a few aquatic plants, and some rocks or maybe a big stick or two to ensure any wildlife that might fall in can climb out again. Fill your pond with rain water if you can – by the way, a water butt is another great garden addition to collect rainwater!
