When the sun shines……

After such an optimistic couple of weeks around the garden, the last week (and several to come it seems) have changed the mood.  Cold weather, wind and torrential rain have made life difficult for a lot of the garden wildlife, especially the young birds that are now coming to feed.  Greenfinches, woodpeckers and tits are using the feeders but it is clear that these fledglings are struggling with the poor conditions and the best I can do is keep everything well topped up.  When the sun manages to break through the thick cloud and mist, we have dragonflies and damselflies around the ponds, common blue butterflies and a wall brown in the meadow and a good range of interesting beetles about.  One of my favourites is the Welsh chafer – much smaller than his more familiar ‘cockchafer’ cousins that batter the windows at night.  These chafers are iridescent green and brown and easy to photograph as they like to sit about on leaves in the sun – when there is any!  This as a great month to wander in the garden with a camera – as long as there isn’t a gale blowing.