It’s brilliant to be able to wander round (in wellies!) in the mini nature reserve and spot who is currently living there. The willows that we pollarded at the end of last year are sprouting nicely. The other trees (willow, oak, cherry) have mostly finished flowering and lovely, delicate young leaves are newly unfurled. The hedge is covered with frothy May blossom (Hawthorn), which pollinators love, and looks stunning against a clear blue sky. The horsetails (Equisetum) are rampant and, along with creeping buttercup and willowherb they are the dominant ground level vegetation at present – although our wildflower plug plants are also developing. It will be interesting to see whether the balance shifts in the coming years, and how much we will need to intervene to help that balance.

We’ve spotted Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Small White Butterflies so far, plus various bees and hoverflies that mostly don’t stay still long enough for photos or proper identification to take place!

Plenty of frogs around too. The hot, dry weather has meant that the long damp grass and shady undergrowth are even more important for them to keep cool. Ponds across the site are low but, luckily, so far there is still enough water for the developing tadpoles.