Bees 'n Beans is go

We have beans. So begins our @LJBees Bees 'n Beans citizen science project.

♥ Tadpoles ♥

Gentrified Squirrels

Sign of the times, one of the new neighbours must be feeding the squirrels almonds. Forgetfulness, surfeit or happenchance: this curious little seedling has been potted on to see if it thrives.

♥ Pear Blossom ♥

Collared dove Streptopelia decaocto posturing in the pear tree. Nesting materials are being collected.

Plot57b Pollinators

Beefly Bombylius major first spotted on 01/04

Hoverfly ♀Myathropa florea thnak you to @HoverflyLagoons for confirmation of ID.

A poor pic, but posted here for the record: hoverfly Helophilus sp. possibly pendulus

We used the exceptional photographs by Chris Webster on his site British Hoverflies to ID our beauties.

Wasp possibly Dolichovespula media

Hairy-footed flower bee ♀ Anthophora plumipes

Time of the Toad

The first and only clump of frogspawn appeared in the pond on the 29th of March, a single toad spawned on the 3rd of this month. Yesterday was a good day for it and the toads started calling. Their chorus continued until evening as they laced cat's cradles through the pond weed.

We counted six pairs in one count with a further 5 lone males jostling for position. We recorded the final tally with the Fresh Water Habitats Trust's Big Spawn Count.

Let there be tadpoles!

Bees 'n Beans

Potting up broad beans for @LJBees Bees 'n Beans citizen science project today. We're going to put the plot57b pollinators through their paces.

#nhmwildlifegarden Spring Wildlife Event

We went to the NHM to attend the Natural History Museum Garden's informative 'Gardening for Butterflies' talk. We came away with a plan to improve Plot57b habitat for butterflies by planting more larval food plants.

We have Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus butterflies as we grow its larval food plants: holly and ivy. The nettle patch we've had established for a number of years in the disused garden incinerator goes some way to attracting Comma Polygonia c-album and Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta. We plan to plant Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica for Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni and Lady's smock Cardamine pratensis for Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines butterflies.

Caddisfly larvae Trichoptera Sp.

WE also made the most of the Spring Wildlife Event pond dipping activity. As you would expect from the nation's wildlife museum, the garden's pond is teeming with wildlife.

Our list tallied:
• 3 Caddisfly larvae Trichoptera
• 1 Lesser Water boatman Corixidae Sp.
• 1 Greater Water boatman Notonecta Sp.
• 5+ mayfly larvae Ephemeroptera
• 1 damselfly larvae Odonata
• 1 Water hog-louse Asellus aquaticus
• 2 Leech possibly Erpobdella Sp.
• 10+ flatworm Dugesia Sp.
• countless phantom midge larvae Charborus sp.
• countless daphnia Cladocera

Leech possibly Erpobdella Sp.

Mayfly larvae Ephemeroptera