We've had some gorgeous weather of late, and in the growing warmth of the sun the garden has come alive. At times it's been buzzing with insects; honey bees, bumble bees of various types, hover-flies, the lovely long-tongued anthophora plumipes bee, and a few passing large white butterflies. The comfrey flowers have already been put to good use, and colour can be found throughout the garden now with the primroses still providing a glorious show, forget-me-nots a lovely powder-blue swathe and daisies and dandelions dotting the lawn. At the end of the garden garlic mustard has begun to bloom. Best of all however, is the marsh ,marigold at the back of the pond; it's a magnificent sight.
The pond itself has been a hive of activity. This weekend the numbers of pond skaters shot up to ten or more. They're aggressive creatures, and the brief but furious battles between individuals are frequent. Water boatmen, occasional sightings of the delicate water measurers and the constant wriggling of tadpoles around the margins draw the eye, and it's easy to become mesmerised by it all, drawn in to the mysterious depths. Frogs still pop up on occasions too, but best of all this weekend was the reappearance of the big green hawker dragonfly larvae and a female common newt. The two dragonfly larvae we spotted are enormous! I suspect this will be their year to emerge as adults.