Nature and Gardening

Was out in the garden planting some new things and transplanting others when one of the local pileated woodpeckers came to use my garden fork's handle as a perch and hang out for some fifteen minutes, even with me moving and working just a few feet away. They're usually into having more space between us, so it was an awesome experience.

Got buzzed a few times by some hummingbirds too - they can get aggressive when the flowers are late, and they'll fly close enough that you can feel the wake from their flight on your neck and face.

I was stuck inside my flat most the time unfortunately, but I was able to watch a little sunbird hunting for insects just outside my flat. Nectar is not their only meal!

I didn't get a lot further than the garden this weekend but, having moved to a rural spot (East Anglia, UK) only a couple of months back, we are still finding new things in and around the garden.

One of the most notable is that a Kestrel has recently fledged in the woodland at the end of the garden - so it and parent are quite prominent and vocal on the several suitable perches around and about. We have set up the bins on a tripod in the front window and are getting some great views.

We also have a red kite passing overhead quite frequently.

Otherwise, brown hare loping through the garden, plenty of grey squirrel and occasional muntjac, green and occasional great spotted woodpeckers. Most smaller birds are steering clear at the moment due to the predators though. Then a southern hawker made a few passes on Sunday, and a several meadow browns and a red admiral were flitting about. We have burdock growing along the edges in a few places and just noticed a cluster of lords and ladies at the bottom.

We also noticed a branch had fallen from one of the adjoining ash trees and was hung up on the power line. A call to UKPN brought them out to deal with it surprisingly quickly. Looking at the canopy, I fear that it is succumbing to ash dieback. I expect that we will have more falling branches and that it will need to be felled this winter or next.

I spent all day Saturday weeding my vegetable garden and adding some radishes, leeks, summer squash, and wax beans I grew from seed. This is my first year growing ground cherries, and they're really taking off! They taste funky in a good way.

8 point buck cromching my day lillies.

The cat semi-spooked him, and he moved to the forsythia.

En guete buddy.

I went biking with a friend yesterday, and we found this amazing patch of strawberries. All the plants were loaded, and they were in such a sunny spot, they all got so sweet. Someone introduced somehere years ago, and now they grow in the ditches and random lots around town. We're going to try gathering some today, bike around and fill up containers.

I breathed fresh air without any noticeable smoke in it. It was a refreshing change of pace after the past several days.

Went sailing with my partner and a couple friends around Mission Bay in San Diego. Was kind of a cloudy day but still always so joyous!

It was 1000 degrees this weekend so I stayed inside. Haha

I went for a walk around our local wildlife preserve! It was super peaceful and relaxing. Saw lots of lizards, rabbits, and butterflies!

Finally got a break in the near constant rain and thunderstorms and took the quads out on the trails for the day with some friends. We rode most of the day and saw deer, a turtle, lots of chipmunks, tons of butterflies, a turkey and a pheasant, ate lunch up on a cliff under some wind turbines, and took one extremely hairy trail that challenged us all. It was fun and so nice to be outside all day seeing some new sights.

My partner and I went backpacking for the first time this weekend! It was overall a really positive experience, but the hike ended up being longer than it said in the guidebook and it rained the entire way back, so it definitely pushed our limits. The sound of the rain in the forest was lovely and the misty mountain views were still quite stunning.