Category Archives: wildlife

Cold slow spring at the allotment

Posted on May 23, 2021 by smallPaws

It’s been a cold slow spring. Windy. Wet. Fairly yucky all told. The plot grows on, but in a slow steady kind of way. This time last year we were gorging on strawberries. This year they’re forming more slowly and … Continue reading →

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chilli update & outfoxing the foxes

Posted on August 15, 2020 by smallPaws

After a week of heatwave conditions of over 30 degrees in London, the weather turned on Thursday 13 August with spectacular thunder, lightning and torrential rain. No doubt the Hungarian chilli plant enjoyed the sweltering conditions more than we did, … Continue reading →

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shoe mystery solved

Posted on August 11, 2020 by smallPaws

We’ve been cursing our neighbourhood lately.  Pandemic aside, our little leafy corner of north London is awash in rubbish.  Missed garbage collections on the circus makes for growing tides of swirling garbage.  Drives super-dude nuts – to the extent that … Continue reading →

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July’s over…

Posted on August 4, 2020 by smallPaws

July ended with a mini-heatwave.  We arrived at the start of this week and simply had to photograph the temperature – partly to prove to ourselves it really was over 36º – and this from the thermometer installed on the … Continue reading →

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second brood of sparrow fledglings

Posted on July 25, 2020 by smallPaws

It’s been variable in London – spells of cool weather, then hot and humid, then more cool and rain. Today started with sun but quickly turned overcast then wet. We’d been tricked by the forecast for rain later in the … Continue reading →

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stargazing day & night

Posted on July 24, 2020 by smallPaws

The stargazer asiatic lily has finally come into bloom in the back patch.  All through April and May I monitored for the dreaded red lily beetle – which did manage (again!!!) to completely strip a few of the garden lilies … Continue reading →

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beautiful, beguiling butterflies

Posted on July 23, 2020 by smallPaws

At the plot we’re waiting for things to grow…   It’s all looking lush and bountiful.  Alas there have been disappointments and failures too.  Due to the cool conditions this summer, things are taking a little time to get going. … Continue reading →

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other July fliers..

Posted on July 19, 2020 by smallPaws

It’s not all just about butterflies.  Another interesting event we witnessed up at the plot was evidence of ‘Flying Ant Day.’  There were at least two nests we witnessed erupting into activity as a new queen ant took to the … Continue reading →

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butterfly bonanza

Posted on July 19, 2020 by smallPaws

The Big Butterfly Count started on Friday.  Organisers say it’s the world’s largest butterfly survey. This is another fantastic citizen science project, and taking part is easy: find a sunny spot and spend 15 minutes counting the butterflies you see … Continue reading →

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foxy update

Posted on July 17, 2020 by smallPaws

The allotment foxes look to be in good health this summer. This guy appears youthful and was just chilling up on F’s plot last week by her spectacular Mullein plants. He’s not our bare-tailed chap, who we’ve not seen about … Continue reading →

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