30 Days Going Wild - Day 30

June 30th

 

Well the last day of June has arrived. How wild has June been? I would like to say we have done something really wild and exciting every day but I can't. We have done something every day, but not necessarily always wild and exciting - but certainly interesting! We have been to some new places and revisited some old favourites, met up with old friends and made new ones, and thoroughly enjoyed this month. We have travelled around some days and stayed at home on others.

The more I write this the more I realise - this is what we do all the time! Being retired for us is like 30 Days Going Wild every month.

So, here is a collage of our finds and activities for this 30 days going wild. Roll on the next 30 days!

 

 

30 Days Going Wild - Day 29

June 29th

 

What a miserable day today - it has rained all day long, and heavy rain at that. The only option is to go out in it and take some rainy pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 Days Going Wild - Day 28

June 28th

 

The weather forecast is not looking too good for the next few days so last night was a chance to put out moth traps. The wind dropped during the evening and when we went outside to see what moths were about, at about 11pm, it was very still and quite pleasant. We spent about an hour trapping moths as they fluttered around the night sky before leaving them to it.

Come this morning we went to see what else was in the traps. Looking very grey, we emptied the traps in the garage, expecting rain at any moment. (actually it didn't come until the middle of the afternoon!)

We had a few firsts for the year last night...

 

Barred Straw

Beautiful Golden Y

Bright-line Brown-eye

Dot Moth

Peach Blossom

Riband Wave

Single Dotted Wave

Small Fan Foot

Snout

... and one of my favourites....

 

Common Emerald

 

30 Days Going Wild - Day 27

June 27th

 

On a trip today with our General Interest Group to the Annandale Distillery. Had a great time looking around the restored distillery. Situated just outside Annan, the distillery is in a lovely spot.

 

 

Walking from the car park takes you past fields full of buttercups, with selfheal and other wild flowers edging the path. Today there were three horses in the field too. On entering the yard of the distillery you can see the wood next door - although there was no time to investigate today.

 

 

There is a stream that flows through the site ...

 

 

...and although we weren't there to look for wildlife in particular, there were plenty of bees buzzing around the plants by the side of the water.

 

 

After a guided tour of the distillery we were just making our way back to the car park when we saw swallow babies sitting on the fence by the horses, waiting to be fed. Thinking it would fly off when we got closer, we were quite surprised to see it sit there for some time, until a parent finally came to feed it.

 

 

 

A lovely end to our visit.

30 Days Going Wild - Day 26

 

 

June 26th

 

Went for a walk today round a group of gardens open with the Scotlands Gardens Scheme. Middleshaw had several gardens open for visitors today.

As we set off there was rain in the air but we decided to still go, hoping the rain would stay away for at least part of the afternoon.

Middleshaw is a rural village surrounded by fields.

 

 

 

The gardens were all very different, some around new houses and others well established. Some were tiny, others quite large. Some full of flowers, others with large lawns.

 

 

 

 

This one had a pond and a huge vegetable and fruit plot

 

 

 

A lovely clematis at this one.

 

 

This house had a summerhouse with an exhibition of paintings!

 

 

Many of the houses had small competitions raising money for good causes. We tried guessing the weight of the lamb!

 

The only unfortunate part of the afternoon was the weather - as it did come on to rain soon after we arrived! We were very wet by the time we got back to the tea room! A lovely cup of tea and some delicious cakes rounded off the afternoon and dried us off. Everyone we met were impressed by the gardens but all said the same thing - what a shame about the weather!

30 Days Going Wild - Day 25

 

 

 

June 25th

 

Have had rather a busy week, so today is a day off to do whatever! Made time to watch the birds in the garden this morning. There are loads of baby birds on the wander in the garden now. Baby sparrows are still zooming around the garden, sometimes not too sure where to land! Have seen some still being fed by parents - must be a second brood. Baby blackbirds are roaming around the garden too investigating everything. They are going to be just as messy as their parents - throwing chippings all over the lawn after having a good rootle. Their speckled chests are lovely. Baby starlings are about too squawking and making a racket with their parents. Two goldfinches have been regular visitors this week - devouring the nijer seed. Lovely to watch the swifts in the sky - the way they swoop and swerve around is so graceful and mesmerising. Haven't seen as many swallows this year as we usually do - or is it that we've been so busy we haven't really had time to look for them!

 

Illustrations - RSPB

 

Following on from the making of jam and elderflower cordial this week, today it's rose petal syrup. Tastes lovely on ice cream and has a real rose flavour and red colour. It is best therefore to use the petals of fragrant roses, and red ones if possible, so there is no need for colouring!

 

 

30 Days Going Wild - Day 24

 

 

 

 

June 24th

 

Todays wild activity was to go out and collect elderflowers for making Elderflower Cordial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been a few years since we made this so I had to look out the recipe first!

 

25 elderflower heads

1 lemon

4 oranges

3lb sugar

2oz tartaric acid

3 pts cooled, boiled water 

 

 

 

Just have to wait for 48 hours now before we can strain it, bottle it and then drink it!!

 

30 Days Going Wild - Day 23

                       Jun 23rd 

Despite other parts of the country having torrential downpours today, we have had a lovely sunny, warm day. Having been stuck indoors for most of it, going for a look round the garden was one of the first things to do after getting home.

June has turned out to be a month full of colour, so here are a few of the colours in the garden at the moment.