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| 2012 Rowan in bloom |
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On Friday 28th April a group of us went to check on the trees and pull out some of the grasses from their base. They have grown well already this Spring. Some of the older trees from 2012 and 2014 are well above head-height. I think the tallest Rowan is now 8 feet high. One Rowan has its first flower-head. Similarly the Red Dogwood has flowers. These will provide pollen and nectar for insects and later on, berries for the birds.
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| 2014 Red Dogwood with flower buds |
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We still have two Alder Buckthorn bushes, planted in 2013, which is the food-plant for the bright yellow Brimstone butterfly caterpillar. This Spring there is no sign yet of any eggs or caterpillars on them.
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| Alder Buckthorn 2013 |
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In a Biodiversity Area, plants considered as weeds in gardens, have a value. The dandelions provide early nectar for bees, whereas the dandelion clocks provide seeds for goldfinches, which I have seen in our patch.
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| Dandelion clock |
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There are lots of Red Admiral butterfly caterpillars on the nettles, enclosed in their nettle 'tents' and I found an interesting brown spider asleep on a holly leaf - possibly an Orb spider.
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