It was a blistering hot day, which saw me finishing off the pond in the back garden. However there were a few times I nearly jumped into it to cool down.
It was definitely too hot for a walk with Ted, so he just followed me around the garden and sat in the shade.
In between shovelling lots of soil and planting all sorts of plants around the pond, I did have a wander around the garden to see what was about.
Here are a few images of what I saw today:
It wasn't until I came to edit this phot of another Swollen-thighed Beetle, that I realised there was another insect on the right. A fly, hoverfly or a bee. Not sure if there is much to go on to ID it.
This must be one of the largest Toads I have ever come across.
It was almost as big as my fist. Quite a brute.
An Ashy Mining Bee trying to locate its burrow in the lawn with its heavy load of pollen.
This is a Painted Nomad Bee and the first............
........nomad bee I have seen in the garden this year. Last year I saw this species in April. Its been a long wait!
I think this is a Common Blue Damselfly, but not quite an adult yet. Either way its my first Damselfly in the garden this year.
All day long there were either 1 or 2 Red Admirals on the Pyracantha flowers.
There were at least 3 Narcissus Bulb Flies in the garden today.
And there were a few Swollen-thighed Beetles as well
And my creation, another pond using an old fibreglass bath and painted black. Well pleased with, though....
.........I don't think Ted is that impressed.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, House Martin, Swallow, Dunnock, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Goldfinch and a warbler sp.
Amphibians Recorded: Common Toad
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: Blue-tailed Damselfly
Butterflies Recorded: Large White and 2 Red Admiral
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria) and 2 Painted Nomad Bees (Nomad fucata)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) and 3 Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) and Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)