Summer silence and Autumn rain

Nearly all the birds have gone silent now as they go through their annual moult.  Even this years fledgelings undergo the same.  Although, we do have a very late sparrows nest over the backdoor at the moment so I do not know how that works for them.

Gatekeeper in Cornfield Annuals

The only sounds in the garden at the moment are the tinkling of  goldfinches and the rasping of greenfinches.  It was a wonderful sight the other morning to see and hear a bevy of very noisy fledgling goldfinches being fed by their parents. Currently they are eating an expensive bag of niger seed a week.

Higher in the stratosphere  there are still Swallows, House Martins and Swifts quartering the skies for insects. They will stay until the end of summer then leave for Africa.

One of the best places to see all three in action is the front at Parkgate, where you invariably have to dodge out of the way.
Although we have the  wonderful RSPB reserve situated at BURTON POINT, it is totally inaccessible by public transport. 

Mid July is the best time to look for butterflies and bumblebees as they are at their peak showing  as they dodge the heavy showers but they too will soon be gone. 

Silver Studded Blue

Six Spotted Burnett

White Tailed Bumblebee

I checked the blog entry for this time last year and as I expected the season changed in the exact same week last July.  Personally I am delighted as it time to put away summer clothes and bring out the autumn jackets and jeans. 

It is probably the last few weeks for hunting wildflowers before they turn to seed and  get beaten down by the rain.  The past season has been a great time to  become a wildflower twitcher.  Several wildflower and butterflies species  have been added to my ever growing list. But lists are not the important aim, just an indication that we might be helping out nature and making a difference.