With the advent of Autumn it's time to prepare the Garden (at Home) for next year

We are now winding down looking for Bees, Butterflies, Hoverflies &c.: both in the Garden (at Home) and elsewhere.

And as we become more involved in other activities viz. especially Stamp Collecting/Postal History, with our interest centred on (British) East Africa, New Zealand and Rhodesia, we are thinking that our Wildlife activities will be increasingly focused on the Garden (at Home).

Plans (God Willing) for 2020 in the Garden (at Home) include introducing more Lamb's-Ear (for the Wool Carder Bees) and cutting back on the Common Ragwort (much of which became very straggly this year). Two or three Plants will surely suffice.

Hopefully White Bryony will grow again and again attract the Andrena florea Bees *. Andrena florea are described as 'rare' by BWARS but we are inclined to think they might simply be 'under-recorded' (after also seeing the Bees on White Bryony beside the Upper Bedon Stream).

* all Andrena florea Sightings have been submitted to and accepted by, iRecord (similarly, Wool Carder Bee, Sightings).

Notwithstanding, we'll soon be back beside the River looking locally (on the so-called, 'Patch') for Black-Tailed Godwits, Dunlins, Grey Wagtails, Lapwings, Little Egrets, Redshanks, Ringed Plovers, Rock Pipits &c. And hopefully we might see an Avocet or two.

Bees seen today in the Garden (at Home) included: