Here's a few things I've noticed recently, now we've ticked over into July.

• Many a mushroom is growing in my lawn, big and small. I put this down to the recent heavy rainfall, but I'm only guessing. I'm sure they wouldn't normally be there at this time of year.
• The sheer variety of bees and wasps I'm seeing in my garden is staggering. Are they on the up or am I just noticing them more?
• Actually if you dig into the soil it's amazing to find that all the rainstorms haven't actually wet it more than a few inches down.
• When you've taught your daughter that birds go "tweet" it's gratifying to have a Chaffinch do exactly that in front of her – issuing a series of plaintive tweets and nothing more complicated.
• There just don't seem to be that many butterflies around so far this year.