Day 25 - A wander in the Forest

I awoke this morning to discover that a badger dug up the bee nest (day 23) overnight. The nest has been in the garden for at least three years. I've lived in this house for 11 years and there have always been badgers so I'm not sure why there was a sudden interest in the bee hole... poor bees!

I found that tiny bee in the centre crawling around. I don't think it could fly and I thought it was dead at first. I put some sugar water in the insect watering station and it drank some then was more active. I tried to put it down close to the nest hole after but I don't know if it made it back inside (I suspect not as there was a small, dead bee nearby when I checked later).   I'm not sure if the actual nest was protected by a bit of concrete under the lawn - there was a lot of activity there, bees coming and going from underneath it - or if they've started a new nest under it.  There were also several bees seemingly searching in the disturbed soil which made me wonder if they were looking for eggs or something to take back to the nest. I don't know though, I'm just guessing!


Later on Sunday, I was in Macclesfield so decided to have a wander in Macclesfield Forest, I've not been there for a while. 

Bog hoverfly (this one is Sericomyia silentis - not the other bog hoverfly found only on Dartmoor!)

In order to get in my outdoor drink today, I'd called at The Forest Snug food van at the beginning of my walk to buy one, plus some seedy flapjack. I'd been hoping for a Thor cake but the food spot has changed hands since I last visited it. The new food van is much better though, it's run by a chef!

There was a lot of cuckoo spit on one part of the forest - the ground was just covered in it, all around, as far as I could see. How amazing would it be if the little hoppers all emerged at the same time (and I was there to see them!).

scorpion fly (female)

A look back...

In 2016, I watched oystercatchers on Day 25.

The previous year I walked in hay meadow, an evening guided walk.