Autumn

Autumn at last - when nature changes it's colours to golden browns and deep, rich reds. The nights are colder and it's getting darker but the world is still fascinating!

 

 Remember the butterfly I found laying on the ground over the Summer? The other day I found a Tortoiseshell Butterfly in my lounge! Because it is no longer Summer, I had to go down to my cellar and release it. We often have butterflies hibernating in our cellar and so I hope that this beautiful one I discovered is ok. I wasn't able to take a picture as I had to catch it with a jar to be able to ensure it's safe journey but I hope that you've enjoyed the tale nonetheless!

 

A couple of weeks ago, I was riding my bike, when I say some birds on the road, pecking at something. It took me by surprise when I saw that this thing was still moving, so I stopped and went up to it. To my horror, I saw another bird, injured and in pain. I don't know why but this just hit me with a wave of emotion and I knew then that I couldn't just leave it; I couldn't let it be pecked to death. So, with some pitiful hope, I picked up the bird and ran to the side of the road. There I cradled the bird, which was shaking in pain, and then placed it on the floor, so as not to cause it any more suffering. After a few shudders, the bird just stopped moving, so suddenly that I wasn't sure at first what had happened. I moved the carcass to the edge and tucked it under some grass to give it the best dignity I could. This incident just moved me so much and, I admit, I cried. It seemed so unfair and so poignant

When I returned home, I told the story to my Mum, though I was in tears before I'd finished. She told me that she was so proud of me and that it showed who I was. She said that I gave that bird comfort in it's last moments and that it really mattered that it died with that peace. Now, I understand that, despite my intentions, I couldn't have saved that bird, but in a way I did save it. I saved it from dying a lonely death.

 

 

If any of you readers, wherever you are, whoever you might be, ever see any creature, or indeed human, who needs help, please help it, even if it is dying. I know this may sound weak minded and a bit pathetic, but it truly shows who you are and if you can do this, you're a special person to me!

Thanks for reading (sorry for the dismal tale).

Sumtumn (not Summer, not autumn)

I apologise; it's been ages since I last posted. And a lot has changed.

Not only has the hot weather been exchanged for misty mornings and biting winds, but the bees and wasps and bugs that were omnipresent all summer have all disappeared and are now rarely seen. But the leaves haven't yet fallen so let's not think about winter yet!

Instead I want to talk about the time when it's not quite autumn but not quite summer - when you go out in a jumper, not a coat, and when the leaves haven't quite fallen yet. It is during this time that the butterflies fly away and the hedgehogs ponder in.

So keep your eyes open for the annual changes! I'm sorry that there's no story this time, but next time...



Summer - My Favourite Things

 Summer. It's nearly over! Soon, Autumn will be here and the trees will be bare, the flowers gone. So enjoy the sunshine - or the typically British rain - before the snow comes, because Winter will be here before you know it! This is just a quick post saying my favourite things about Summer.

1. The trips away.

Many people go abroad on their Summer holidays but I prefer to stay in England, where the views are gorgeous and the wildlife is beautiful.

This photo is of the sea and I took it while standing on a cliff above the sea. The sky is clear and the water is blue; I think it looks fantastic. It's a great reminder of the amazing trips we've had out

and about.

2. The flowers.

Many flowers only make their appearance in Summer and so I believe that you should enjoy them whilst they're here.

This photo is of some flowers in my garden. There are many flowers at the moment, due to the weather, and this makes everything look brighter and more colourful. They're so pretty!

3. The sunshine.

Everything looks better when the sun is shining! All sorts of wildlife appears when it's not raining, so keep your eyes open on those hot, sunny days.

 

 

In Britain, sunshine is rare, so when it does come, it's glorious! :)

I would say the wildlife too, but I love the wildlife throughout the whole year, not specifically in Summer. What are your three favourite things about Summer? Please comment! Thanks! :)

Ducks, swans and geese

Hello!

Today I'm going to talk about ducks and swans and geese. These wonderful - and often loud - creatures are found all over Britain.


One day, we were taking my brother to the A&E because he had hurt his finger and, whilst my Mum sat in with my brother, my Dad and my younger brother went out to walk along the river Wharfe. We were lucky enough to be greeted with all sorts of birds, trying to get bread off passers-by. Many of the birds came extremely close, leading me to believe that they are used to human life.





The day was great and it was amazing seeing all these birds up close. Ducks have only ever come as close to me as that when I went to a big forest - it was an Arboretum (?) or something. Anyway, it was a pleasant experience.




I have been able to take pictures of the bats, like I said, but I will tell you that they circle our house. We believe that they might live in the ivy on our house, however there are many places locally that they could be staying. I'll try to update you with more information soon!

Thanks for reading! :)

A very popular flower - Buddleia

Hello! This morning I was out in my garden when I passed the Buddleia. This beautiful lilac flower was crawling with wildlife such as bees, butterflies, wasps, moths, hoverflies and bluebottles. The flower was planted due to the fact that it would attract a lot of wildlife and it has done exactly that!




First of all, I saw at least 4 Red Admirals, which we usually don't see in the garden at this time of the year. They were gorgeously coloured with deep reds and golden browns and I was lucky that they didn't notice me and fly away. This was the first time I've seen them in our garden this year, so this made me extremely happy to see that they hadn't moved away.

 Secondly, along with the Admirals, there was a white butterfly. I was ecstatic to photograph this lovely butterfly because I had seen it in my garden many times before but they always flew off before I could take photos. I'm not sure what this butterfly is called (maybe someone could comment and tell me) which brings me to the subject of the unknown flower.




In one of my last posts, I put photos of a flower with a name that I wasn't sure of. I have now discovered that this flower is called Sweet Pea. If you would like to plant a flower that attracts bees and other wildlife, I recommend Buddleia or Sweet Pea. Not only do they attract mini-beasts but they look beautiful too!







 One thing we are certainly lucky to have are bats and so I'll try to catch some photos of them too soon!!!

 

Sparrows, unknown flowers and bees

Hello again! Today I'm going to tell you about a Sparrow that I saw on my drive. Because there's ivy on my house, many birds nest there - including Sparrows. Sparrows are small birds that eat birdseed and insects. They are hunted by the Sparrow-Hawk (a larger faster bird).

Once, I was sitting on my drive very quietly when a Sparrow swooped down and started picking up crumbs off the ground. It was about a metre away and yet it was completely unaware of my presence. I silently took my camera out of my pocket and took a couple of pictures. The Sparrow was an adult - judging by it's size - but these are small birds; it was certainly no bigger than my fist. Compared to common birds like Blackbirds, Sparrows are tiny and are hard to spot due to their brown colouring - which blends in perfectly with trees. Sparrows nest and have chicks around Spring, which has just passed and so, in the mornings, you might hear the persistent chirping of chicks waiting for food around this time of year!



There are many flowers that only bloom in Summer, such as this one here. This flower is absent in Winter and Spring and yet it makes a sudden appearance during the Summer. It contrasts hugely to the dark green of the ivy, brightening up the garden. The delicate pink attracts many insects and this flower doesn't need to be cut back because it dies away after every Summer and grows back just after the end of Spring. Despite it's different appearance to many other flowers, I have never discovered what this flower is called so if anyone knows or can suggest what it might be called, please comment.  

The flower, like I said, attracts many insects and bees love this flower! We find many bees on flying towards this one, leaving other flowers to the wasps. Here is a picture of a bee with it's head stuck in the flower. It certainly seems to be enjoying it! But, as you probably know, bees are endangered and we have been sad to discover many dead bees lying on the ground.




Please do not kill bees if you find one and do not aggravate one because if it stings someone, it dies. If there is a bee and you would like it to go away, walk away from it or put it in a cup - holding a piece of paper under it - and release it somewhere. Bees don't sting just for the fun of it; they do it to protect their hive and other bees. A bee will not sting willingly unless it has a reason so don't give it a reason!

 

 

Hedgehogs and butterflies

Welcome to my new blog - Fluttering Wildlife!

This blog is all about wildlife, as you can probably guess from the name, and it will tell you about different types of wildlife and some experiences that I've had with some animals and creatures.

Do you love wildlife?

Then this blog is for you! Read my blogs, look at the pictures and enjoy!

:)

The picture below is one taken from my garden and it's of a hedgehog who we called Ziggy. We found him one night, abandoned and so we called the vet. They told us to weigh the hedgehog. When we told him the weight, the vet said that - outside - Ziggy wouldn't survive. He told us to keep him inside until he was big enough to release. We were to feed him raisins, cat food and the occasional slug and so we did. Over the weeks we watched Ziggy grow from the size of an apple to the size of a grapefruit. After releasing him, I realised just how special this experience was and just how amazing it felt to have saved this hedgehog.


If you find a hedgehog in your garden, please check that it is ok but DO NOT HANDLE IT WITHOUT CALLING A VET FIRST, as they can die of shock if they are not handled or treated in the right way. Please share any experiences you have had with hedgehogs; I'd love to hear them!!!



The picture below of the butterfly is another one taken in my garden. I was helping out in the garden when I stumbled across a butterfly lying on the ground. I rushed inside, grabbed my camera and snapped some pictures instantly. The butterfly didn't fly away and I discovered that it had a damaged wing. I told my family to be careful not to tread on it. But a bird managed to get it. Sadly, it died.

Tortoiseshell butterflies are beautiful and I managed to take a picture of it's intricate wings. There are many butterflies in Britain in the summer, however, a large quantity of them are dying out due to new types of butterfly. The competition for food and shelter is forever increased and so, the next time you see a butterfly, see if it is foreign. Which butterflies do you see a lot? Please comment!