The last rays of summer

When we open the back door now the smell of the ivy flowers is beautiful and almost overwhelming.  The bees are all gone for the winter but there are still quite a few wasps about.  Some of these keep getting in through the sash cords holes in R’s office – and these are probably queens trying to find a place to hibernate.  I have told him this does not mean that they will make a nest in his room, but he does not seem to be convinced.  To his credit, he does not kill them but has a special plastic cup he catches them in and puts them outside.

I also saw this red admiral just outside my window.

Apparently these have now started over wintering in UK and actually do hibernate in their adult form.  So this one will be filling up on the nectar from the fuchsias before looking for a cranny in the walls to hide in and sleep out the cold.

To quote Ted Hughes  “And now it is about to start.”