More sightings

I went out to lock the chickens away last night and almost trod on this toad on the back step. It is a common toad with the great latin name of Bufo bufo. The other evening I heard a bird knocking on a tree. Initially I thought it was a woodpecker but the tapping sound was too slow and quiet. Through the foliage I caught a glimpse of a small elongated bird running along the branch and it looked like a nuthatch. We have been excited to have a pair of spotted flycatchers in the garden and this past weekend one of our visitors found the nest on the back wall in the roses.

Lepidoptera sightings have been a bit disapointing with only 1 more brimstone yellow and 1 peacock buttefly seen in the garden. One night I saw a hawkmoth feeding on the flowers but it was too dark to identify. Fortunately the presence of a loudly buzzing hummingbird hawkmoth makes up for the lack of other activity. It seems to like the nectar of the red valerian growing in the walls. Photographing it will be a major challenge!