Various

just about see the two small bees

Early bumblebee  Bombus pratorum;

So glad to see two of these in the garden, maybe there are more than one of these little orange tailed workers but as I take a picture, my heart is happy.  In the old house I would be woken up early by the hum of bees just outside the bedroom window in June.  This little bee loved the cotoneaster flower that spread outside, and I have even planted the same shrub here to attract them, though this one is almost on the verge of flowering so  this bee has been on the flowering thyme and chive flowers.

Bumble bees are a great favourite of mine, we should all grow as many flower types to encourage them and keep them around, protecting them from the unnecessary use of pesticides and herbicides.

What else, a plea from Chris Packham against the slaughter of badgers, scientific evidence says it is foolhardy and will not eradicate TB in our cattle, why can't we vaccinate?  Many years ago I joined a group in my village campaigning against badger baiting, we would go around in the evening checking on the badger setts, looking for the 'white van man' and his dogs, though the police advised against it.  There was a great old sett not far away, within its burrows badgers, foxes and rabbits lived, a happy symbiosis, maybe not, badgers are partial to a baby rabbit or two.

Badgers used to come to the garden at night, one night woken by the squawking of Hetty the hen, dashed outside barefoot with Moss, only to be confronted by Hetty fleeing up the steps with a badger not far behind, she had chosen to sleep in the nest box and the roof was removable and the badger must have pushed it off.  Moss dumbfounded by this strange creature did not know what to do, we all went in pursuit as Hetty lodged herself behind a water butt, and the badger knowing the game was up left the garden.  Hetty disappeared into the blackness and it took at least half an hour to find her squashed tight between a wall and a plant being very, very quiet! No harm done but a few tail feathers lost.

So what else? a trip out the Cats pub today to celebrate Father's day............

Cottage on the way to the Cats pub

pretty Aquilegia surrounded by yellow feverfew at the Cats Pub

trailing rose