Winter cabbages

Today we have dug over the patch where cabbage white butterflies massacred all our purple sprouting broccoli and sprouts plants a few weeks ago. We have now planted some winter cabbages that WILL NOT go the same way as their predecessors because this time we have added a net. We are very proud of the way it looks now it is finished but are slightly worried that a certain puppy will go charging through the net and bring it down. Just as we were hammering in the wooden posts to support the net a lone cabbage white butterfly flew overhead this omen spurred us on to get it finished so fingers crossed that it will stay up.

The Snakey show with Auntie Bob

This is Snakey the snake, she was bought for my brother when he was at school but now he lives away at university so mum looks after her.
Auntie bob has decided to make an informative video for Tom, Jack and Katherine (my little cousins) about feeding time. Hope you like it guys!

Lewisia and NEW SHOES

Me and mum went looking for some winter cabbages to plant in the now empty vegetable bed/butterfly colony. We made a huge first time mistake and did not put up netting around the purple spouting broccoli and sprouts so we got hundreds of cabbage white butterflies which destroyed all the plants. Turned out the local garden centre didnt have any winter cabagges so I bought a Lewisia instead. I didnt know what it was and only bought it for the pretty pink flowers. But have since learnt that it is an alpine plant, that it originates from the US. It is a clump-forming, evergreen perennial with rosettes of dark green succulent leaves and grows in well-drained, stony soil. I have just repotted mine asap as it was in soggy peaty soil when I bought it. This plant is written about as being hard to please on the internet but by potting it into at least 50 per cent sand according to the Ashwood Nurseries page I found via google hopefully mine will survive.

On to a totally different topic. I have new shoes, god bless Marks and Spencer where I bought these yesterday. Im saving for New Zealand which I leave for in a few weeks, but it will be my birthday before I go so contributions from Nana and Grandma paid for them.

My lovely new shoes!!!

Autumnwatch Fri 2nd October: Friday night on BBC TWO

I watched the first in the series of the new Autumnwatch and thought it was brilliant, here's a link to it on BBC Iplayer so watch it if you can.

If you don't know this is a series from on BBC Two at 9pm on a Friday night. Great for those people who are like me who are not out clubbing at this time. The programme returns this year in a new format, lasts for eight-weeks and celebrated UK wildlife, live and interactive from across the country. Chris Packham and Kate Humble report from the BBC natural History Unit in Bristolon events such as monitoring bird migrations on the south coast, visiting a wildlife rescue centre to meet hedgehogs getting in shape for hibernation and soaking up the glories of our autumn woodlands, alive with rich colours and a wild harvest, in the Lake District to name but a few.

The programme follows up this year's re-introduction of wild beavers from Norway, finds dormice in unusual locations and helps stranded manx shearwaters. Investigates sightings of large numbers of killer whales that have learned to follow mackerel fishing boats. There will be weekly reports about how you can get involved with all sorts of interesting wildlife activities such as bat detecting, bird ringing, building homes for wildlife and finding out about ancient knowledge of medicinal plants. And my favourite comes via satellite link each week and follows the great autumn spectacle on the Isle of Rum. The gladiatorial battles and the sexual intrigues of the red deer rut.

This is my favourite part as I travelled to Rum about 4 years ago to watch the deer rut in my first year at uni. It is a very small island so the area he films in and even the research hut he is very familiar to me. It was an amazing experience brings back lots of good memories. Apparently he will also be going to the Arctic Circle and Africa to see the other side of the lives of migrating birds, such as geese, wading birds, sand martins and ospreys.
Here are some of my photos of Rum..

When I watched the rut I saw the stags fighting as shown on the programme, the most successful stag then was named Astral. We went out with the researchers to take the antlers from the dead stag, for measuring and recording purposes. Once we approached a huge dead stag which had been gouged by his opponent's antler through the eye socket, when we got close we soon realised it wasnt quite dead and had to run for cover. I saw golden eagles and sea eagles, otters, dolphins and the wild horses.