The World Wide Web of Wildlife

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We were only saying at the weekend how good it was to see so many insects on the ivy flowers. The sound of bees and hoverflies was almost deafening. It was good to see.

Here at Falcon Cottage we don’t use chemicals in the garden and try to stick to native plants. We want wildlife to be at home here and one of the key factors of this is getting the environment right. Why does this sometimes get overlooked out there, beyond the sycamores at the end of the garden, in the wider world? Sure it’s ok to (re)introduce the large raptors but would it pay better dividends to start closer to the base of the food chain rather than the apex; get the foundations right and everything above will be of sound construction. Get the environment right and nature will move in. She will do the rest. The whole web of life means everything relies upon something else; everything is connected. Everything joined by fragile and sometimes tenuous links to every other living thing. Us included.

Despite walking the whole hill here on Wednesday I couldn’t find a single migrant passerine. It was only later during the afternoon did a Pied Flycatcher drop by to feed at the larder of insects that were themselves feeding on the ivy.

One of the Hoverflies gorging on the pollen was a Death’s Head Fly – Myathropa florea; named because of the so called death mask on its back. I think it looks more like the ‘batman’ symbol. Maybe nature is sending up a signal calling for a superhero to come along and rescue us from insecticides and over cultivation.

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Churchyard Yaffler

‘Yaffler’ is the term used to describe the Green Woodpecker in Norfolk. It aptly describes its call.

As we walked through a churchyard in south Norfolk a couple of weeks ago in search of dragonflies I heard the yaffle of a Green Woodpecker. Not distantly echoing from some far corner of a wood but close; just the other side of a holly bush. We froze. I slowly turned and raised the camera. It was imperative not to make any sudden movement. I peered around the holly until I could see the verdant green plumage in the viewfinder and pressed the shutter release.

So aware are these wily creatures that the sound of the camera intruded upon proceedings. Away he flew.