Diaries about wildlife in my garden in Hampshire (England) began as I followed the nesting of Blue Tits and Robins in 2000. Since then they have continued annually with nesting diaries (with webcams), reports on the wildlife that lives here, or visits us, and the occasional holiday trip, including some underwater photography in 2008. 

2005 saw the garden featured in the BBC's Spring Watch television series, and in 2006 we were visited again by the BBC, this time for a Radio 4 program called Shared Earth.

Last year we followed Great Tits and Starlings as they nested, but we were disappointed when the House Martins did not return. Poor summer weather meant that it was also a bad year for insects here, with hardly a ladybird to be seen. However, the Autumn was brightened with the discovery of a rare barkfly on timber that was destined for our log burner.

This year, the 10th year of the diary, we had two broods of Great Tits, and while there was still no sign of the Martins, we had Swifts in our nest boxes for the first time! Summer was once again not so good for insects in the garden, but the rare barkfly species that turned up last Autumn appeared again. This time there were several of them, and and I was able to monitor one for over a month - link below....