It's been a good year here so far. I've added two bees species, a butterfly and several new moth species to my garden list already and it's still early in the insect season. I think the drought last year pushed a number of insects towards our area as it wasn't quite so hot and dry here. I certainly saw more unusual species up here than normal.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I read those articles last year @Fairygirl, so ridiculous. I saw one yesterday about KILLER BIRD FEEDERS!!! Basically the story just being to keep them clean so they don't pass on bird diseases. Also, something along the lines of 10 INVASIVE PLANTS THAT WILL TAKE OVER YOUR ENTIRE HOUSE IN 10 MINUTES!! Daily Mail of course 😄
I'm really concerned as an unbalanced system at that particular trophic level has wider implications to the whole ecosystem.
Still, there is time and many of this years bees will only just be starting to emerge so there's still time for an uptick in numbers.
I also believe it differs locally/regionally. For example an ecologist friend of mine up near Manchester doesn't believe his region is affected much at all!
...More slugs than I've ever seen in my life so at least the thrushes will be happy...
Edit - My father is a naturalist and has reported a huge drop off in moth numbers from his trap in West Kent, and for those that follow socials Lolo Williams reports the same poor showings at his site in Wales.
RSPB Newport wetlands are reporting good numbers of moths at their trap but still down on last year. I think this weekend they had 70 moths of 40 species whereas I was getting more like 20 moths of 12 species which is almost identical to this time last year. It is very cold over night though compared to previous years and that's bound to hamper the numbers a bit. This does show that recording wildlife and citizen science really does have a good role to play in judging the effects of climate change.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Everything seems to be designed to terrify people @Crazybeelady. I don't read any newspapers, and certainly wouldn't look at the Daily Fail if I did, but I glance over the various news items online, and it seems to be the ongoing pattern of the writing. Ridiculous. No wonder we get so many queries on this forum about killer bees/wasps/flies/anything that moves, and ones about 'possibly' invasive/poisonous plants.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I was wondering if I have done something wrong with the bee hotels. Maybe the bees have died over winter. The hotels were in the shed, but it has no door. It is dry but the temperature is similar to the outside. My bees haven’t emerged yet but it’s very in the morning hours and we hardly had a warmer day. Clouds up to 1 or 2 and if the sun comes out after 2.
Not so many hoverflies this year but the stag beetles are marching up and down as they do in my garden. I've got plenty of bumble bees, probs because I've got more foxgloves than most years. Aphids have been thin on the ground, which is great, and no saw flys either this year, usually I'm on 24 hour guard for those blighters, but I did have lily beetle...which is no longer with us RIP!
Reading (for my sins in a previous life!) We've had them years, they make a right racket with their clicking. We had an old stump at the bottom of the garden, when we had to have a tree cut down we left the root in the soil and they seem to love it there.
Posts
Still, there is time and many of this years bees will only just be starting to emerge so there's still time for an uptick in numbers.
I also believe it differs locally/regionally. For example an ecologist friend of mine up near Manchester doesn't believe his region is affected much at all!
...More slugs than I've ever seen in my life so at least the thrushes will be happy...
Edit - My father is a naturalist and has reported a huge drop off in moth numbers from his trap in West Kent, and for those that follow socials Lolo Williams reports the same poor showings at his site in Wales.
No wonder we get so many queries on this forum about killer bees/wasps/flies/anything that moves, and ones about 'possibly' invasive/poisonous plants.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I ♥ my garden.