Smbsy @smbsy@mastodon.art

Common blue butterfly.

Went for a walk to collect elderflowers today, though not many have bloomed yet.

Got lots of blurry bird snaps, and one cool harvestman photo.

Marked as sensitive because creepy crawlies.

Cinnabar moth caterpillar.

Caught a glimpse of another moth today.

Ragwort is growing in the garden, so there will probably be some caterpillars later too.

Saw a soldier beetle today.

The only one I can identify to species level without looking it up is 'cantharis rustica'.

It has a black spot on it's back, often in the shape of a heart.

Badgers, butterflies, beavers... I love Springwatch!

Sparrow havin' a bath.

Saw a cinnabar moth in the porch the other day.

Usually when I *think* I've seen one, it turns out to have been a burnet moth instead.

Grafted apple update.

New growth!

These apples have done really well, but up until now I've been prepared for something to go wrong.

I think they're going to be OK.

Another go at a jay.

Jay.

A crow foraging in the grasses and wildflowers.

Sketchy mushrooms.

Definitely don't eat sketchy mushrooms.

Did some diagrams for bird ID today.

Left to right:
House Martin - Swallow - Swift

Stile

Sketchy balalaika.

Put a wardrobe together tonight, and lost twelve screws.

Found them again though.

And seven others that don't seem to fit anywhere.

Squeak.

Grafted apple update.

I expected about half of my grafts to fail, but they're all producing leaves now!

Those that flowered already are starting to produce fruit. Growing just one apple will cost these little trees a lot of energy.

As lovely as it would be to have apples so soon, it would be better if the trees put their energy into strong roots, and sturdy grafts.

I didn't want to pinch the flowers off, but I will pick the fruit before they grow.

Chaffinch. Again.

Called the vet today, and they let us know that they had to put the hedgehog to sleep.

It was a male hedgehog.

He had some food and water, and they gave him some pain relief. Ultimately the leg was too bad to mend.

Even though he was a wild animal and would have died anyway, hedgehogs are a locally threatened species. We did our best, and spared him from exposure and dehydration.