One Year at Little Oak Lodge

This week marks the first anniversary of us moving into our new home. 

The garden bird list is now on 107 HERE with highlights including Spoonbill, Hawfinches, Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Merlin, Goosander and Firecrest. The moth list is on 475 and the butterfly list is 13 HERE and I've also started a wild botany and all other taxa project HERE which is on 107 species. Moth highlights include a first for West Sussex, African Sober and a second for West Sussex- Echium Slender.  

There's been so many birding highlights in the local area including Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper, American Golden Plover, Black Brant, Golden Oriole, Serins, Collared Pratincole, Poms etc. It's been great being involved with an excellent local birding community.  

We've managed to plant over 200 trees, put a pond in the front garden and have completed various projects including raised beds, butterfly borders and beds, meadows, animal housing and reared ducks from eggs and recently got rabbits and there are geese in the incubator, built a new garden office and shed, did a makeover on a caravan and now renting it out as an airbnb and refurbished the house and other bits and bobs too.

Been a great first year and looking forward to the results of our wildlife garden habitats as they mature and are developed. 

Here's a few before and after shots. 

The patio area before

The patio area after

The side garden before

The side garden after- now with camping and caravaning 

The raised beds going in

The raised beds recently

Another view of the raised beds in winter 

The raised beds recently- had our first full meal out of the garden yesterday with leek and potato soup and cauliflower cheese

View over back garden before

View over back garden recently with kids play area, new garden office and beds

Another view of the back 

The farm animal area

Isaac and the rabbits

Jacob and the Onion

Isaac being the head gardener