I thought my garden was already quite a haven for mammals, birds and insects, but there is always more you can do for them. With this in mind I've just registered to take part in the RSPB Homes for Wildlife scheme.
I thought my garden was already quite a haven for mammals, birds and insects, but there is always more you can do for them. With this in mind I've just registered to take part in the RSPB Homes for Wildlife scheme. After answering a few brief questions online about me and my garden I can now download factsheets containing advice on how to attract and benefit wildlife.
Out in my garden there is already a good deal going on. I've noticed the green shieldbugs in my garden are all purple. Saturday was the best sun in ages and these lovely bugs have started to appear, just as they always do at this time of year, sunning themselves on the south-facing fence, and the leaves of the ivy growing all over it. They won't stay that colour for long, and I expect that within 10 days they will be back to their original rich emerald hue.
The green shieldbug (Palomena prasina) is, of course, green, except that it isn't during winter. Nobody seems exactly sure what is going on, but they start to turn brownish purple in autumn, just before disappearing into hibernation. It has been reported as being a physiological change, perhaps related to changes in the way nutrients are stored in their bodies over winter. But I've often wondered whether it might be an evolutionary adaptation to the disappearance of greenery in autumn and the fact that these bugs sun themselves on brown tree trunks to warm up when they re-emerge in spring.
I can't resist picking up these bumbling creatures, they're lovely. Their clockwork gait is almost comical and the wonderful flicking open of wings and mechanical whirr as they take to the wing is fascinating. They do, though, leave behind a certain scent. It's vaguely like almond marzipan, and I find it quite pleasant. But in the mouth of bird or shrew, it's bitter and acrid, and probably poisonous since it's based on the same chemical composition as prussic acid aka hydrogen cyanide. The smell lingers on my fingers and I can smell it later when dunking a digestive in my tea.
Tea-drinking is about all I've been doing in the garden so far this year, that and sorting out nearly-three-year-old's sandpit toys. But I've just visited the 'My garden' page on the RSPB Homes for Wildlife website and I notice there are 124 actions I can take to benefit wildlife. Let's see how I get on ...
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