Rambling Rose: May 2023: Quick roundup

Spring continuing cold, wet and grey.

Fragrant blossom and thickening foliage.

Goldcrest, garden.

A Goldcrest pair feeds in the garden. Small birds such as these are seen less often later in the month.

Swift

4th May 2023

Swifts return home, but no joyous chorus: just a few birds heard calling. Happy to hear, to welcome back, nevertheless. Unfortunately, as month continues, seems less have returned home than previous years. More often a pair, not a flock, are observed.

The French Lavender flowers, the English only by the end of the month. Bumblebees from the nest by the shed are frequent visitors.

Thunder, lightning and gusts for many days mid-month.

Cherry seedlings potted up, a pair of beechnuts sprout, and many things planted into the garden.

Apple blossom

In search of Nightingales in the fens

First week of May and Nightingales sing strongly from thickets. Many warblers accompany, but less and less sing by the end of the month as breeding/territories are established.

The Cuckoo calls often at certain sites, but is only heard once from the garden.

Common Whitethroat

Coot and juvenile

Cuckoo

Yellowhammer

A fine view from the coast road

One maybug in the garden. Starlings busy feeding screeching fledglings, later in the month blackbird fledglings fill the garden, some fed by parent birds but most independent. Ladybird larvae observed.

Common Tern

Spoonbill

Spoonbill and Little Egret

Some fine spells amidst gloomy grey days, but a cold North/North-Easterly wind persists.

Hawthorn blossom, sunset sky

Turtle Dove perched up in hawthorn

Turtle Dove, preening

Snettisham coastal park

Sunset at Blakeney

20th May

"Two swifts seen, but skies seem empty."

Delicate whites: clouds, mayflower, lesser stitchwort.

Hobby

Marsh Harrier above the reeds

Small Red Damselfly on oak leaf, garden.

Dragonflies and damselflies seen in garden and about, but very few butterflies.

Wisteria (floribunda 'Rosea') in flower, garden.

The wisterias fill out in full leaf and flower. The buzz of bees and a delicate jasmine-type scent surround. Not just petals falling by the end of the month, but twigs and a cracked white egg from a poorly-constructed Wood Pigeon nest somewhere high in the boughs.

Rose 'Gertrude Jekyll'

26th May

The first of my roses to bloom is the fragrant 'Gertrude Jekyll', closely followed by the reliable climbing rose and abundant shrub 'Blue for you'. All the other roses keep their buds tight. Aphids kept away by busy Blue Tits, but cherry trees suffering with blackfly this year.