It’s hard to know if gardening for wildlife is making a difference to the wildlife in my garden. I know it makes me happy, but does it work for the wildlife?

I don’t know if we have more bees, bugs & insects. I think we do but I didn’t look for them before so I don’t know. I know we have fewer birds (we used to have blackbirds, dunnocks, wrens, more robins, lots more blue tits) but I think that’s probably cats and gentrification.

I think my garden is so small, it’s hard to see if it makes a difference on its own. So many external factors affect it. I don’t have the skills and patience to do in-depth bug counts like that lady in Sheffield. But I guess part of the point of recording it here, is to see long term if stuff works.

Today it was sunny for the first time for ages. There were hairy footed flower bees (finally)) and lots of different hoverfies (I have hoverfly lagoon in the back passage); and maybe small wasps, a cabbage white and a speckled brown (which I’ve never seen before). The tadpoles are hatching, and the 4 birds that do visit are eating from the plants not just the bird feeder, and the “waste” I didn’t clear off the beds but left to rot down looks like it’s turned into flowers. So today feels like a good day!