Garden and moor

All the finch broods have increased the number of birds at the kitchen feeder threefold, especially Chaffinch. Willow Warbler are now "heweet"ing on the moor, in the bracken mostly, indicating the young have fledged from a brood or twenty ... The Curlew have taken up residence in the silage fields that have been cut, about 15 or so in view from the garden. Lapwing seem to have disappeared.

Not a butterfly was seen all weekend, presumably killed off by the torrential rain of Friday (check the weather station data http://weather.atomwide.com/qgraphs.aspx look at the rain rate over a week in one hour on Friday there was 25mm).

There were 16 7-spot ladybird larvae on the bank by the outhouse.

Yellow-necked Mouse was feeding by the bird feeders and two were found in the sunflower seed bin (the lid was left off the other day). It looked as if one mouse had cannibalised the other as the dead one had been severely chewed. Presumably this was the only water available.

There was a newt in the moor pond which is now full again - not ided with any certainty. Most of the remaining tadpoles are small and black and undeveloped, there are a few near frogs and we found one tiny froglet. Will it be the cold that has stopped these developing? They can't be a later batch of spawn I presume.