Photographing this Comma butterfly on Buddleia in my garden this morning, it was hard to recall the force of the weather that hit Obley ten days ago.

A week ago Wednesday, a massive localised thunderstorm arrived in Obley.  For about an hour the wind howled, rain and hailstones forced their way through closed doors and windows and flash flooding poured down the lanes, leaving banks of stones and debris in its wake.

Lightening struck one house and then at least once again bringing down the telephone wires.  Many of us (including me) lost our computers, televisions, faxes and other electronic equipment.

In true housewife style, I was more concerned with getting the washing in than unplugging my phone and computer.  I am sure it would have cost less than £500 to have spun and dried the washing again!

My week without computer and telephone rendered me ashamedly agitated and, unexpectedly, feeling very isolated from the outside world.  It confirmed to me that I use such technologies not wanting to know their environmental and human cost because I cannot imagine my life without them.

A few weeks ago (unfortunately I didn’t manage to take a picture) a group of goldfinches and linnets were feeding on the docks on the bank to the side of the cabin.

On Friday I took a wander around the ecocabin garden and was astonished by the variety of butterflies and other insects.

I know very little about insects (any entomologists want a holiday at ecocabin?) I think this is a Cardinal Beetle on the left but I don’t know the name of the visitor to the Knapweed.  The Tortoiseshell butterflies are loving the Wild Marjoram flowers.  Rather unfairly I felt it was necessary to deal with five wasps nests in the roof of the cabin this week.

The contrast in the flora and fauna to four years ago when we lived on the same site in a caravan with sheep grazing the ground is unbelievable.  Then the only wildlife were House Sparrows, Chaffinches and the customary Robin who enjoyed any spilled barley fed to the cows in the building.  It just illustrates how much diversity can be created in less than 2 years and how important such oases are in modern farming.

John has reported Common Spotted and Heath Spotted Orchids in fields around Pentre Hodre and also Helleborine growing in Clunton Coppice (which he suspects has been brought in accidentally by visitors).  I haven’t had a chance to go and have a look myself yet but will endeavour to find a spare hour in the next few days.

Enjoy the nature of Obley and let me know if you see anything interesting!