A June nature journal: heatwaves, poppies and teenage hens
- rebeccaxharris
- Jun 29
- 3 min read
Journalling in June
June has continued the weather's recent habit of keeping us all guessing, with this month reaching record-breaking temperatures of 35°C. Keeping my newly planted wild flowers alive has become something of an endurance sport. More than once, I've found myself embarking on a frantic lunchtime watering mission, racing to rescue plants that appear to be slowly stewing in their pots.
The stars of this month, however, have undoubtedly been the poppies.
I discovered a glorious patch growing in a neglected strip of rough scrub beside our local cricket pitch. There they were: reds, pinks, purples and yellows bursting through forgotten steel barriers and crumbling concrete. Nature's determination to flourish in the most unlikely places never ceases to amaze me.
What delighted me even more was the thought that perhaps fellow villagers were intentionally allowing a little space for wilding along the edge of the village. Imagine my disappointment, then, when I returned a few days later to find a man busily mowing the entire area. The vibrant display had vanished, replaced by a blanket of shredded grass, brick and stone. It left me wondering whether I should contact the cricket club and make a gentle case for letting a small patch remain wild. What do you think? Is it worth a polite plea on behalf of the ever-declining arable weeds?
While it can sometimes be frustrating to see green spaces simply left to become overgrown and labelled as "rewilded", I would like to take this opportunity to praise Wiltshire Council for what I believe is one of the best rewilding projects I have seen. In Salisbury, rather than merely allowing verges to grow wild, a large area surrounding the central car park, through which the River Avon flows, has been actively and thoughtfully rewilded with a diverse range of beautiful plants that provide both visual interest and valuable wildlife habitat. The success of the project was evident on a recent evening visit when we were fortunate enough to watch a large family of otters playing in the river right in the heart of the city. Seeing these elusive mammals thriving in such an urban setting was a wonderful reminder of what can be achieved when rewilding is approached with care, ambition and a genuine commitment to supporting nature.
Sketchbooks and Journals
A question I've been asked this month concerns the journal I use. Ever since Moleskine stopped producing my favourite sketchbook, I've been searching for a worthy replacement. My current journal is made by L'oeil, and I'm very pleased with it.
The landscape format works beautifully for nature journalling, at 13cm x 21cm it has plenty of room to combine sketches, notes and observations across a spread. The real selling point, though, is the paper. At 300 gsm, it's robust enough to handle watercolour and mixed media without complaint. It's hot-pressed, so colours blend beautifully on the surface rather than immediately soaking in, and because it's acid-free, it should remain in good condition for many years to come. The Moleskine equivalent is still excellent for sketching, but in this format, the paper is only 240 gsm, which makes a noticeable difference. I'd love to know what you use - drop me a message with your favourite!
New Arrivals
Meanwhile, our newest arrivals are settling into the hen flock remarkably well. We recently welcomed 12 new girls, and they've already rewarded us with a generous supply of eggs. These particular hens came to us at point of lay, which is rather unusual for us, as most of our rescues are around 18 months old.
The farm we got them from had recently changed its setup and decided to breed its own hens. Unfortunately, their calculations were slightly off, and they found themselves with around 400 more birds than they had planned for. Their misfortune became our good fortune, and instead of middle-aged rescue hens, we acquired a group of enthusiastic teenagers.
As anyone who has lived with teenagers will know, however, they don't always appreciate sensible bedtimes. Every evening involves a certain amount of negotiation before they're persuaded to head indoors. Losing two of them one night entirely, we eventually tracked down the clucking to find them roosted in the tree above us.
If you've ever considered keeping hens and have the space for a few, I'd strongly recommend looking into rescue birds. Not only are you giving them a second chance and saving them from slaughter, but many continue laying happily for years afterwards. At around £2 each, they're also one of the most rewarding bargains you'll ever find. In the UK, rescue hens can be adopted at the British Hen Welfare Trust
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