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I dug a hole in the garden on Sunday, not for any gardening purpose; the hamster had died and we were having a short funeral ceremony. Digging deep holes in my East Dulwich garden is always a problem. About 25 cm down I usually meet rubble where

When it's cold outside, and none of the family offer to join me in the garden for a spot of tidying up, it's nice having the company of some feathered friends instead. During winter the birds are bolder and friendlier than ever, with robins

It's easy to consider bees and birds when gardening – we see plenty of them if we grow the right plants – but what about bats? Emerging from their roosts at dusk and returning by dawn, they can often go unnoticed.My partner is a huge fan of bats

There is a delicate balance between wanting to see nature in the garden, and suffering the consequences of its visits. I am decidedly at the easy end of the spectrum, and all I have to worry about are a few dollops of fox faeces in return for close

as if the outbreak described  last year really will become a reality in my garden this year. Meanwhile, I await the hatching with more than a little interest!UPDATE: Our wildlife blogger Richard Jones has kindly supplied some images of ladybird larvae and pupae

and insects abound. There's an increasing list of scarce and unusual insects turning up there.On 26 June I was there on a blistering hot day and the whole place was abuzz with wildlife. Two insects stuck in my mind. One was a tiny, but very pretty, picture

on to their precious cargo. I'm not too worried about the grass, but I am concerned that without the damp September air, will I get to see any autumnal wildlife?I photographed these ink caps, Coprinus comatus, a few years ago in Brenchley Gardens in Nunhead

in the washing off of the line. He’s small, but perfectly formed. At 35mm, excluding the antler jaws, he is way down below the usual size spectrum of 45-60mm. I’ve only ever seen one smaller, just over 27mm, found dead in a friend’s garden in Sydenham several

No, it’s not quite time for hibernation yet. Just a bit of sun in the garden and all kinds of intriguing insects are out again. I thought maybe I’d seen the last of this year’s hoverflies, but a drowsy marmalade fly, Episyrphus balteatus

, the wonder and excitement of garden wildlife. You really do not know what to expect next. Maybe it will be a grass snake after all. Of course, there was the time that polecat ferret looked in at the cat flap…