Hornet investigations

I sent my mystery visitor picture to my friend 'who knows'  and the verdict has come back as Hornet (thanks Sam!)  This was a bit of a surprise to me but thinking about it they are rather huge.  I always thought Hornets were very aggressive but Sam sent me a very interesting link which tells a very different story.  I love the idea that they eat my sworn enemy the gnat, midge, mosquito whatever you want to call the horrible little bitey things.  They must be lending their support every night to the Bats in the battle of the skies.  With the amount of nasty bitey things I get in the garden it must be ideal for Hornets here.  It was also interesting to read that Hornets often bump into windows because this has been happening here.  You will be sitting in the study working away when BANG something crashes into the glass.  Now I know what it is.

As a nature lover I would really like to allow the Hornets to live in peace in the garden although I suspect Hairy Hubby has already put in his order for an industrial size box of fly killer.  I am still wary of the Grand kids being stung even after reading the information in the Hornet article and would not like to think of my prettiest nest box being swamped all over by a huge monstrosity of a nest.  This one requires careful thought...and negotiations with Hairy Hubby.

It seems that Rainham's White Tailed Plover has flown to Slimbridge.   What's more it has stayed overnight.  I think this was very unfair of it, the least it could have done was flown to Hickling so I could see it.  But no, it had to fly west not east and get totally out of reach for me.  All I can hope is that it remembers its manners and has a hasty rethink overnight.  A couple of convenient hours at Rush Hill Scrape would do me nicely.  Drat the bird, I have seen pictures and it was gorgeous.  I would love to see it.

The fields locally are all turning golden now.  Everywhere you go there are nodding heads of corn ripening in the sun.  It is lovely to see the crops I remember being tiny sprouts getting ready for harvest.  We are also able to buy local grown potatoes, carrots, strawberries etc from the farm shops.  More crops we have seen grow day by day and now we can eat them!  I love this living in the country lark.