September 2025: The summer has been so dry that wildflower areas flowered and set seed earlier than usual. Despite this, it has been relatively good for butterflies, with the sunny spring and early summer providing good conditions for emergence from hibernation and breeding. We have seen more Jersey Tiger Moths in the village than in previous years, again because of the warm and sunny weather; they are beautiful, look out for them!
Sylvia and Stirling Sparrow had only two broods this year – all have now fledged thankfully (it is very hard work for us parent birds). Please continue to put out shallow dishes of water and keep bird baths topped up for us. If you need to trim hedges do this between now and the end of February, although if you can wait until the berries have finished that will provide extra food for the birds. Leaving some thicker foliage as winter shelter for birds will also be welcome.
Froglets and toadlets leave the water in late summer – both they and adults can be found near ponds or under logs or dense foliage, so please check for them (and hedgehogs) before mowing and strimming. The hedgehogs are having a really hard time this year with it being so dry; this also reduces food availability for them. Some mothers very sadly are abandoning their hoglets because of a lack of food and water. Many more than usual are turning up at rescue centres – once dehydrated their internal organs shut down. So again, shallow dishes of water please on the ground, and a small amount of cat food or hedgehog food (from all good pet shops!) put out in the evenings, will really help them.
Catch up again soon,
Finlay Frog and Sylvia Sparrow
May 2022
As well as our wild flower mats now ‘leafing up’, other flowers coming up in our wild patch near the pond include Queen Anne’s lace, pink campion, meadow buttercup, white dead-nettle, bugle and, of course, our precious native bluebells. The UK’s woodlands contain 50% of the world’s population of the bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta – this is the lovely deep blue/violet coloured bluebell that is native here. However, the paler and more vigorous Spanish bluebell Hyacinthoides hispanica was introduced by the Victorians and is in many of our gardens. This Spanish bluebell is overpowering our native bluebells in urban areas, hybridising with it and producing paler and inferior bluebells. So, if you want to plant bluebells in your garden be sure to choose the native variety, and help prevent the Spanish invasive bluebell from spreading. For more information go to www.wildlifetrusts.org.
More about No Mow May on this Countryfile news item and the Plantlife site here.
Thanks to everyone who has helped with the Wildflower Project so far, including Robin Worrall for the design of our logo!
March 2022
This pyramidal orchid was observed on the front lawn of the Raseys’ garden last May. They were observing a ‘No Mow May’ and plan to do it again this year. How about locking up your lawnmowers from 1st May to give the wild flowers in your lawn a chance to bloom? More details can be found at plantlife.org.uk.
In the meantime, the repositioned bench at the pond is providing a relaxing haven and an opportunity to observe the spring wild flowers plus wildlife.
January 2022
Planning is underway for the next stage of the wildflower project. We are going to plant snowdrops in a month or so and wildflower mats are being purchased to be laid in front of the bench. We are also looking at how we can make our own gardens wildflower-friendly and in so doing benefit wildlife.
Perhaps you can join us by planning to nurture a section of your garden this year, for example by leaving it unmown and sowing wildflower seeds, or even reducing the numbers of grass cuts. Eliminating chemicals is also beneficial for wildlife.
November 2021
The bench has now been moved further forward facing the pond and the area has been strimmed. A path on the bank has also been mown to improve accessibility. A big thank you to the Shed for their hard work!
Sixty native bluebell bulbs, primroses and some foxgloves have been planted in the shady area under the tree. Two of the younger Keevil residents were on hand to provide much appreciated assistance. There are plans for more wildflowers in the spring.
Link here to Wiltshire Council’s Community Environmental Toolkit
KEEVIL VILLAGE 