I can't say for sure, but I counted 60 individual flowering heads...and there were many I missed...
I think the neighbours are getting jealous of our extensive dandelion collection in the front garden. It's definitely attracting the gaze of many whom pass it by. Despite what some might say, there is an order to the madness...I'm doing my best to keep them off the monoblock and path areas and corralling the rest into either the 'lawn' or the wildlflower bed. I've attempted feeding both the flowers and the leaves to our resident dragon...but he is just perplexed by the situation.
Lots of insects ahem..using the facilities...including a pair of amorous ladybirds on the front door step last Thursday. Seriously though, ladybirds everywhere! Not that I mind at all, hopefully they'll keep greenfly and aphid numbers down; but it makes the weeding as hard as the prunning was last month. Can't weed that...there's a ladybird on it. Bizarrely, what they really seem to like is basking in the afternoon sun balancing between the whorls of the Buddha statue's hair.
Starlings and house sparrows are starting to nest build; tweaking bits of seedheads and stalks from the wildflower area. I only hope the seeds have fallen out - otherwise I wouldn't be suprised if tansies or ox-eye daisies started blooming from the drainpipes. Some of the more enterprising sparrows have returned to taking bits of material out of our fence, as apparently only these specific bits of straw and willow will do.
We've been getting mice to the peanut feeder for a while now, but every so often they get super excited and seem to do relay races between the feeder...and somewhere else...[unsure exactly where they are living, think its further up the street]. When this happens I move the feeder away from the window, to try and deter them slightly. There's one mouse that must have high blood pressure or anxiety or some other psychological issue as it visably trembles. It has been suggested that I prepare it some of the medication I take for my hand tremors, but the amount would be microscopic [and hence difficult to produce].
One of our squirrel regulars [Sassy the second], has a new injury. Think she's broken or fractured one of the digits on her front paw to the extent that it can't be bent; it looks very much like a lurcher with a knocked up toe. It doesn't seem to be bothering her, but does slightly affect how she holds food. All the gang are providing much needed canine enrichment.
However between the dogs that try to claw/run through the glass to get to the garden; there are an equal number of squirrels and assorted birds that want to come in. Anyone know the price of armoured glass French windows???
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