A comma butterfly feeding on blackberries

Its that time of year again.......planning for next years crops

Hover flies taking advantage of some late flowering calendula

Seasonal colour in the planted borders

Remembering the work of friends and past volunteers before getting power tools when we all got a good workout while maintaining the area

An early visit from a red admiral

Small copper and common blue butterflies visiting today

Repairing a section of damaged post and wire fencing and adding extra posts

After fellow service users had made an excellent job of tidying one of their planters I thought I would have a go at repairing a damaged section of post and wire fencing, increasing tension to the wire and adding a couple of extra posts for additional support.

The mini beast hotels are really beginning to blend in naturally

Trying to keep the wildlife friendly area tidy

Signs of autumn from the hawthorn in the wildlife area

Common lizard basking on the wildlife friendly area

A year in the life of a common lizard…

Spring - Adult lizards emerge from their hibernation sites in early spring. Mating takes place around April.

Summer - Females incubate the eggs inside themselves and ‘give birth’ to up to 11 live young around July/August. Juvenile lizards are tiny – less than 5cm long – and are darker in colour than the adults.

Autumn - Lizards spend the next couple of months feeding up on invertebrates in preparation for winter. They feed on worms, slugs and insects and give their prey a good shake, to stun it, before swallowing.

Winter - Common Lizards hibernate, often in groups, amongst rocks or dead wood generally between November and March. They may take advantage of milder patches of weather to come out and forage.

Common Lizards are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, against being deliberately killed, injured or sold/traded in any way.

Reference: froglife

Preparing for next year - collecting calendula (pot marigold) seeds

Still a mess.....but I could be wrong