Martin's Mag.

No question mark required here as I’m pretty certain these are Gatekeeper butterflies. Partly from appearance and partly because it is sitting on some wild marjoram (oregano) which is it’s favourite herb! Seen on Walton Common.

Just the start of our plum crop.

I know where I’d rather be…

Another dragonfly, this time recovering on our garden shed wall after emerging from its nymph stage (carapace still to the right of it). I think it’s a Common Clubtail but not sure, hence the question mark.

10th July 2020 UPDATE: I was right to include the question mark because my chum Dave, a Wildlife Trust warden, tells me that it is a Southern Hawker. Common Clubtails are, contrary to the name, “about as rare as you can get”, he tells me. I’ve left the title unchanged to attract the passing entemological trade.

As far as we can remember, this is the furthest north we’ve been for three months!

The first flush of cherries have come to an end and been stored, frozen or eaten, but there is plenty more to eat our way through. Only a week or two and we’ll see the first tomatoes and chillies. It’s a tough old job…

And the courgette planter, painted by Sal back in April, is producing prolifically, as is Sal’s sketchbook:

Time to blow away the many spiders webs that have been forming on the campervan’s bike rack. We had planned to go to Clatworthy Reservoir, but no dogs allowed, so continued on to Wimbleball Lake, south of the Brendon Hills in the Exmoor National Park. We parked for the day in the corner of a field at the outward-bound centre on the lake. The year’s hottest day, we were pleased we avoided the crowded beaches at Bournemouth and Weston-super-Mare.

Yesterday I ran with Bristol Hashers, the first time since March, due to quarantine limitations. We ran in groups of six or fewer, keeping two metres apart. Then we all met up in a field afterwards and drank beer. Still keeping two metres apart, of course. We’re all missing the normal pub ambience, but what can you do? Today, Sal and Lucy and I walked around the trail, from the church at Lower Failand.

Miles and Flo brought their new pup, Mabel, to meet Lucy.

This dragonfly was having a rest on a cotton shade in the roof of our greenhouse. I’ll go back later to see if he got out ok.

5:20pm: All clear.

And embryonic dragonfly nymphs are “hatching” on nearby flag iris leaves. Like something from Alien: