Great mullein

Spent the hottest day of the year working on virtually shade-free land next to the East Coast mainline. We'd planned to make an early start so that we could leave before temperatures rocketed, but morning rain scuppered that plan. We left home as the skies were clearing, but shortly after we arrived on site there was another thunderstorm, which meant that Pete couldn't start his work for a couple of hours. So it ended up being a long and very hot day...

In the evening we had a lovely impromptu barbecue with family and friends - good wine, good food - just what was needed after a busy week. And the one benefit of very hot days is warm summer evenings, as long as you apply plenty of insect repellant. We had the moth trap on, and spent a fair time catching micromoths and beetles which landed on the sheet hanging behind it. It was such a good night that our garden bioblitz total (of all living things) now stands at 958 species - we might even make 1000 by the end of July!!