Frogs

 

Frogs

We used to have lots of frogs in our pond, all making merry in the early spring.

A few years ago, they all disappeared.

These are the only frogs we have now.

We still have newts.

The pond is somewhat overgrown, but attracts wildlife.

Damselflies

Dragonflies

. . . and other watery beasties and little creatures that come for a drink of water - they don't care if it's not crystal clear.

ABC Wednesday H is for a Host of things

H is for a Host of things in my garden.


In spring there are Hyacinths . . . 

. . . and Hazel catkins . . .

Corkscrew Hazel (Corylus avellana contorta) which gives sweet Hazel nuts

Our Helleborus niger - Christmas rose - flowers in March!

Our Holly tree (Ilex'Golden King') flowers in early spring . . .

. . . attracting the Holly blue butterfly (Celastrina argiolus)

. . . here seen on Ivy (Hedera)

Holly berries are greenish-white in early summer . . .

 . . . ripening in early autumn . . .

. . . and providing winter food for blackbirds and thrushes, particularly the redwing.

Heathers, pink and white, offer nectar early in the year to provide sustenance for early bees.

Heather or Winter Heath (Erica carnea)

Before the winter, Honesty flowers and will produce transparent seed pods, attractive to flower arrangers. Honesty (Lunaria annua) is known as 'Money Plant' in South-east Asia and 'Silver Dollars' in the States.

Honesty (Lunaria annua) self-seeds freely

Honeysuckle gives fragrance to the garden and attracts many insects . . .

Late spring and summer bring Hordes of Hoverflies . . .

Hoverfly(syrphid fly or flower fly) on pyracantha . . .

. . . and occasionally a Hornet (Vespa crabro)  a large social wasp wasp that looks frightening but is much gentler than its smaller cousins.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) have been scarce this summer. Normally we see dozens at a time collecting nectar . . .

 . . . like this one on Ceanothus (Californian lilac)

Day lilies (Hemerocallis) add colour and interest . . .

 . . . and so do mophead or lacecap Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)

My final H is for Hanging baskets, in which grow a variety of plants, from lobelia and petunias, to pansies and strawberries and tomatoes.

To see more Hs from around the world please click here.

Camera Critters #116, Shadow Shot Sunday #110

The European Hornet (Vespa crabro) is usually simply called 'hornet'. This one appeared in our garden earlier this month. We see them less frequently than common wasps since they are not attracted to human food . They feed on insects, including bees, and ripening fruit.
I discovered that some people believe that three stings can kill an adult and seven can kill a horse - neither of these beliefs is true! Though their stings are painful they are no more dangerous than any other wasp sting, unless you happen to be allergic to them, in which case, keep your Epipen handy! In fact, hornets are less aggressive than other smaller wasps. If approached they will gradually retreat and then fly off rather than attack. However, a colony will defend its nest if the workers sense danger.
While verifying facts I learnt a new word - 'eusocial'. It describes the highest level of social organisation in hierarchical communities. The hornet is the largest European eusocial wasp.
I also learnt how to differentiate a male from a female but my photograph is not clear enough to count the segments on the the antennae - a male has 13 segments and a female has 12. The male  has seven visible abdominal segments while a female has six. I think the insect in the photo is a female.

Thank you to Misty Dawn of 'Camera Critters' and Tracy from 'Hey Harriet' for 'Shadow Shot Sunday' who organise and host these entertaining memes. To see more posts please click on the appropriate title.