We have seen Orange tips frequently as well as small blue butterflies which are probably Holly blues as they flit around all the greenery. They are also seen frequently in a garden at Crown Corner. The House martins are also back under the eaves of two houses at Crown Corner. Well worth watching while enjoying a cup of coffee at the shop. A neighbour who has a camera in their tit box has seen the hatching of nine Bluetits. Hard work for the parents. I saw a noisy group of Swifts swooping round Crown Corner yesterday. I wonder where they will nest. Another neighbour near School Road has had a family of Great tits hatched from their nest box.

While the birds are active insects are also on the go. A clumsy Cockchafer flew into a kitchen near School road but was encouraged to leave. Cockchafers are appropriately called ‘Maybugs’.

Common names of plants have intrigued me. Many are descriptive such as Snowdrops others are anthropomorphic as Garlic mustard in flower now on mostly roadside banks is also called Jack-by-the-hedge. One plant of Tragapodon is now in flower in a bed in Mary Day Close and that is suitably known as Jack go to bed at noon as it closes at midday. “Jack” appears in a number of names in plants although historically it was the name of male animals. The Arum lily is also Jack in the pupil as it does resemble a preacher in an enclosed pulpit. What’s in a name? As the poet says ‘ a rose by any other name would smell as sweet ‘.

June 2026.

Picture Colin Hardy.