I have always liked the Wildlife Trusts’ idea of treating June as 30 Days Wild. Of course 365 days wild are even better, but limiting it to the short and lovely month of June does rather concentrate the mind. Eddie agrees with me — and he contributes his own Wild June blog below.(For newcomers, Eddie is my younger son, aged 16 and with Downs syndrome.)
We’ve been on Alderney and for the past weeks, and it’s been as wonderful as you’d expect. The first day of June began with moths: the slow revelation of the previous night’s catch from the moth-traps.
The fact that moths are a little beyond me adds to the fascination. Obviously I go for the hawk moths before all else: they are more or less honorary birds. A poplar hawk moth was produced in the manner of a conjuring trick, and I was filled with admiration.
Hidden life. Hidden life revealed by the magic of the trap: night’s subtle secrets transformed into the blatancies of day. I half regretted the moment of revelation, wondering if such matters should be kept forever hidden, and half revelled in the privilege of being let into the big secret.
Cream-spot tiger: what a beast is this. The bold chess-boards of its closed wings were set off by the furnace colours it carried below. How could night require these bold daytime colours? Another mystery.
We were there – me, Eddie, wife Cindy – as part of Alderney Wildlife Week, and by the time we started to pack for home we felt as if we were the original islanders who resettled the place after WW2. We spent most of our time with the wonderful Alderney Wildlife Trust and spent most of our time navigating from one wonder to the next. Hard to get our June off to a wilder start…
Here’s Eddie’s blog:
A simon and Eddie blog, just what I needed after a long hot day at work
Thank you
Col
thank you, me and dad like doing it,
love eddie
I love your photos and words, Eddie, thank you. I’ve not been to Alderney, and now I will go!
Wow! that’s good. I had a brilliant time in Alderney, I hope you have a lovely time there too, love eddie
Fab blog, Eddie. Seeing the beauty in everything is a wonderful gift. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Elaine,
love from Eddie
Just so enchanting to read your blog – a real connection to our precious wildlife world. Keep them coming ! Sophie
Thank you Sophie, love from eddie
You have some special photos there Eddie and I love your puffin drawing, you and your Mum are very good artists. Really looking forward to some more of your news and photos.
Thank you Sue, I’m glad you like that drawing,
love eddie
Loving your blog – keep telling us what you see! H x
I will do
love from eddie
30 Days Wild is the best, but 30 Days Wild with Eddie’s blog is even better. Keep ’em coming Eddie.
Thanks Michael for letting me know,
love eddie
Great blog Eddie ! I try to read your dad’s column each week in the Sunday Times mag.
With interesting comments like this and your obvious interest in the wild world, I expect you might start a website sometime. Keep up the good work, it’s good to read even at my age (78). Thank you.
Thank you brian, I hope you will like my blog, I will keep trying to do it,
love eddie
when you visit a beautiful place you see beautiful things, keep seeing and enjoy – fabulous blog great photos and artwork
thats nice of you to say that,
love from eddie
Two great blogs and good to have Eddie back blogging !
I want to keep blogging!
love eddie
Great pictures, Eddie. I’m enjoying reading your blog. Keep it up.
I will thank you!
love eddie
Really great to meet you Eddie and your family. We loved your posts 🙂 we wish we were still there in the little island of Alderney!
All the very best, Ben, Ruth and Sam
Fantastic to see the moth event on your blog Simon. I love moths! Alderney is especially good for moths. That Striped Hawk Moth was only the 3rd record for Alderney so is pretty rare. A good book for moths is Paul Waring Field Guide to Moths of Great Britain. Also great to read about Alderney on your blog too, Eddie. We also saw the blonde hedgehogs in our garden and a black rabbit out near the train track. And of course the Gannets and Puffins. Alderney is amazing isn’t it? Anna
Many,many apologies to you both for the delay in posting this reply, I ,too have been away for our annual walking holiday,, we spent a week in Shropshire, at Church Stretton, walking the Long Mynd. A truly beautiful area with magnificent views into Wales, we did not see any Hawk Moths or Gannets, but we did see Red Kite, as per usual Simon and Ed,you have sent out a great blog!