White Plume Moth spotted here!
Because of the range of plants over the 5 acre garden of Kingham Cottages and the wildlife opportunities amongst the ponds, trees, shrubs and areas purposefully left relatively undisturbed, we have a wonderful range of wildlife.
White Plume Moth
Recently a white plume moth was spotted, having never been seen before in the garden, and it proved very photogenic and kept us in raptures for days. Found quietly minding its own business on the wardrobe door of Ryeworth, it was carefully moved into the garden where it struck a pose against some lovely Cotswold stone before being left to its own devices. A quick internet search found that White Plume Moths are in fact common around the UK and the fact that the caterpillars feed on bindweed then made total sense as to why it has been found in the locality!
Woodpecker holes in ‘The Kiss’
We have also had fun watching the changing scene in one of our organic sculptures. Carved in 2011 by Ashley Chamberlain to commemorate a family wedding, ‘Kiss’ as we call it, has been the happy home of woodpeckers for a couple of years. This year we watched a successful breeding cycle (for the record, woodpecker babies are the nosiest in the garden!) and now that the hole is vacant, a wasp colony has moved in.
Fascinating as this has been watching the beginning of a nest appear with a paper thin covering of the hole, we have sadly decided they are not to be our neighbours for the summer as the ever popular swings are under a neighbouring tree.
Wasp nest developing
These are just two examples of the wildlife that is all around us here at Kingham Cottages and is readily available for all our guests to easily see and engage with. Dragon flies by the ponds, blackbirds under the bushes, doves and pigeons at this time of year everywhere. The changes throughout the seasons make repeat visits part of the attraction of staying with us.
Chris remembers moorhens breeding on the round pond and was daily up and down the garden watching progress as the eggs hatched over a few hours only to find a similarly keen eyed guest also enjoying the same experience.
Come and visit to enjoy all we have to offer for yourself.
