Green and country in the city 28 May

• Last Sunday there was a gull outside the changing rooms at Leaside eating an eel.
• This Sunday I saw a gull swoop down and grab a coot chick and swallow it(the chick) whilst in flight.
• Increase in bees in the garden this week - a few times there were 4 on the sage bush. Today two of the opium poppies had flowers open, One this morning had 3 hoverflies. Not up to the numbers of bees and other pollinators a few years ago, but better than recent years.
• Last Sunday I put out the tomatoes and the courgettes. Also the tree spinach and a meadowsweet.
• Swifts over the garden and martins over the Lea.
• First wild strawberry. Also berries from edible honeysuckle (not very sweet/tasty!)
• Sparrows still collecting the "fluff" from the pampas grass plumes
• Early autumn raspberries and red currants (the later from one bush - the other bush the berries are still small and green).  Having for breakfast.
• Bottled elderflower champagne. Did this after 5 days not 3, and also very hot - so strong yeasty smell!
• Got my wormery to the Transition Leytonstone community garden on a luggage trolley.