Nature Notes

Virtually every spring a queen wasp builds a golf ball sized nest on the inside roof of my garden shed.

The dearth of summer insects has continued well into July and even farmer Clarkson of Diddly Squat Farm has concerns.

There are few bees, butterflies, moths and hover flies at present. This is due to the inclement weather, especially in May, which was the sixth wettest on record. T

Birds of Conservation Concern is a list of birds that are perceived as endangered. Of the 70 UK birds on the list, there have been 20 spotted in and around Scruton, depending on the season.

At this time of year, you may be surprised to find a queen wasp in your house, especially if it appears on something you are about to handle.

Finally, on the afternoon of the 12 March, the wind moved into the west to herald the end of winter.

Walking up Fence Dyke Lane recently, I noticed a huge flock of fieldfares feeding when suddenly a large female sparrow hawk made an attack and killed one.

At the end of the last Ice Age much of England was covered by an ice sheet between two and three kilometres thick.

The early winter weather has been dominated by gales bringing warm weather from the west due to a strong El Nino.

by Andy Johnston The autumn weather can be best summed up as wet, windy and warm, which has enabled many flowers to be still in bloom due to a lack of hard frosts. The first week in October saw the last of our local swallows, house martins and hobby leave for Africa and the arrival…