Several unusual, and many common sightings, are logged during the course of a day’s weeding, plant recording or simply sipping coffee near the bird feeding area…

The garden’s first sighting of the Jersey tiger moth was spotted 4 years ago as we were recording plants around the pond margins and has been spotted most years since - and this year in the moth light trap. Here is an image taken last year by volunteer Jo Manning.

Jersey tiger moth nectaring on wild angelica (taken by Jo Manning)

One morning recently a green woodpecker announced its presence in the meadow with its familiar laugh [n.b. this is a direct link to a .mp3 file at xeno-canto.org. I've also attached another call to the bottom of the post].

It was in the vicinity of an ant hill – they’re rather partial to ants. This was my second sighting ever of a green woodpecker in the Wildlife Garden.

A week later, Daniel spotted a great spotted woodpecker on the peanut feeder. It stayed long enough for him to grab the camera and take a shot – not easy as the woodpecker was behind the feeder – but here’s an image he wished he’d shot – (taken by Martin Tipping)

Great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopus major
© David Tippling Photo Library / The Natural History Museum, London

Since then this colourful bird has made regular trips to our peanut feeder - usually during lunch time - like today! 

Below the bird feeder, pigeons and squirrels squabble over fallen seeds whilst mice dart from their log piles to snatch seeds and peanut droppings.

One of my favourite times in the Wildlife Garden is after sunset – sitting near the pond, bat detector in hand….waiting patiently for a pipistrelle.

A late-evening moment with a pipistrelle

No, this wasn’t the actual bat I recorded, but is one of many images from the Bat Conservation Trust.

Working over-time takes on a new meaning in the presence of pipistrelle bats feeding over our ponds during warm summer evenings....