Started planting

Log pile using bits of the old apple tree from the garden. Greater pond sedge beyond the logs, iris setosa (purple) at the back, creeping Jenny at the edge of the pond. Purple loosestrife in the water at the back, golden striped rush in the water at the front, and umbrella flat sedge in front of the log pile.

First visitor

Amazingly, before the water had been there for 24 hours, I had a visit from a bright green dragonfly checking out the pond! I didn't manage to get a photo, but I'm pretty sure it was an emperor dragonfly (anax imperator).

I have a pond!

Not quite finished yet, but undoubtedly a pond.

More than a year later!

Not a lot has happened in the last year. Just weeded out brambles from the potential pond area and weeded the patio. Spotted a comma butterfly (Polygania c.album), but unfortunately had no camera

Hummingbird hawkmoth

Macroglossum stellatarum

This was the best photo I could get of this one, but it was in our garden.

Here is a rather better picture of one taken last year in my mother-in-law's garden in Cambridgeshire.

Birds seen: nuthatch

A little bit of sunshine among the showers

Hoverfly on
Smooth Catsear
(hypochaeris glabra)

2-spot ladybird

2-spot ladybird
(Adalia bipunctata)

There are 42 species of ladybird resident in the British Isles and this is one type of 2-spot ladybird (although it seems to have more than 2 spots at first glance, only 2 of the markings are spots!)
Gardeners' friends, ladybirds feed on aphids and other garden pests.

Birds seen: Great tit, dunnock, woodpigeon