30 Days Wild: Day 01

It’s June, so the Wildlife Trusts are challenging us to do something wild every day. That’s 30 simple, fun and exciting Random Acts of Wildness. However June is exam season and is often a distinctly sedentary time for me, so I’ve yet to manage a full 30 Days Wild. Maybe this year?

I had completely forgotten about 30 days wild, so a simple start today:

Working with the office window open and trying to pick out some individual birdsongs. I spotted Kevin the Blackbird and the woodpigeon. Maybe I could use June to learn what one or two of the other birds who visit sound like?

Watching the bees. We’ve always gardened with wildlife in mind and even though things are running a little late this year, so far we’ve managed a continuous run of bee-friendly blooms. Interestingly, it’s not always the same bees. The enormous ones have gone elsewhere now that the pulmonaria has finished, but I’m sure they’ll be back once the unidentified – but very pretty – self-seeded something-or-another starts flowering. Apparently the largest bees like the smallest flowers.

Re-booting the compost. We’re trying bio-degradable compost caddy liners and have ben adding to the bins for a couple of weeks. Too soon to say whether the liners actually degrade – but the National Trust’s new corn-starch packing for the magazine seems to have vanished without a trace, so I’m hopeful. However, after a bit of neglect late last summer and an astoundingly cold spell this winter, the wormeries are rather lacking in worms. I did try digging some up – there are plenty of escapees in the garden – but I just ended up standing aside whilst our rather tame blackbirds and robin had a good feed.  A quick order from Wiggly Wigglers should help top up the population in the compost boxes.

Now, just time for a quick walk before the daylight fades. I wonder if we’ll meet any urban bats?

Picture credit: The 30 Days Wild Logo is the property of The Wildlife Trusts.