St Johns Swifts - watch this space!

While it is nothing to do with our wild flowers, a group of us have been watching the swifts in Hartland and endeavouring to provide new nesting sites with several 'specially designed swift boxes. A couple of years ago new boxes were put up around St John's in the Square and a nest box camera was purchased with the help of the Sustainable Development Fund via North Devon AONB. The camera was put into just one of the nest boxes and this year we appear to have some exciting activity in this box.
The video clip is not brilliant quality - the camera has slipped a little on its anchor and the outside light over-exposes the adult bird who is sitting in the box by the entrance.
But if you have waited all this while for something to happen, it is very exciting news indeed! Watch this space...

Hemlock water dropwort

Our most poisonous plant is in flower along many verges; while we might think that this is a brute of a plant and unwanted in such numbers, it supports a huge variety of nectar feeders from butterflies and bees to flies and beetles. Here is a small selection caught on camera today.