The last week of July continued to be mostly dry and sunny. The bees flock to the evening primrose flowers first thing in the morning before they wilt. As you can see the pollen is very stringy and sticky.
It’s now the turn of the peach coloured roses to bloom.
The golden rod self seeds everywhere.
However, it is a cheery looking plant.
It is also very popular with a wide variety of pollinators.
The yukka is making its presence known.
The sunshine has brought the butterflies out. There are a lot of white ones, but only this one stopped for a photo. I think it is a small white as opposed to a large white or a marbled white. We always used to just call them all cabbage whites due to their fondness for cabbages as caterpillars.
A red admiral butterfly was trying to decide which was their better side, this one?
This one?
Or perhaps I shall pose on the red rose.
The thistle-like knapweed was proving irresistable to this bee.
I think it is a common carder bee, Bombus pascuorum. They gather moss and dry grass for their nests.
Knapweed is similar in appearance to thistle, but without the prickly bits.
The bladder campion flowers have faded away leaving the dried calyxes.
The bird baths (and hedgehog water dishes) needed topping up regularly and were much in demand. Splish splash this young blackbird was taking a bath.
They became painfully aware that they were being observed.
A queue was forming.
Finally the robin got a go.
Although the mess the blackbird made of the bath water ruffled his feathers.
Finally some thunderclouds appeared in the distance.
July went out with a bang and some splashes.
Still, the garden needed it.
Just a drop or two.
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