My venture into the wildlife garden reveal beneath a wind rippled pond surface a conical shelled Freshwater Snail. I lifted several “reptile” sheets, and saw the empty Yellow Meadow Ant (although red in colour!) networks under a few, although one had a few slow moving Ants others, small Slugs. It was a shame that a passage had been cut through the laid boundary fence, however, a deep open trench revealed a necessary power cable repair. It was a surprise to recover a Longworth Small Mammal trap exposed by Bird Ringer scrub pruning. Presumably a Fox had taken possible “tinned food” into cover to open! A Chaffinch was heard and the chattering of passing Goldfinches, however, it was a male Great Tit that was seen.
Via a grassy path slick with mud a punctuated by puddles I entered South Field. A solo Carrion Crow passed overhead shortly follow by a pair, all heading inland. It was the leaf cloaked Holm Oaks that moved in the wind at the Small Copse. Entering Saxon, I enjoyed the yellow flowers upon the small Gorse Island. In low undulating flight a Skylark duo passed over the meadow with brief, feint vocals. Soon I was to witness a typical high aerial song and point keeping Skylark performance. Moss had been bird beak extracted about Hay Rake Quarr. Below the vibrant Red Fescue growth upon an Ant Hill were a trio of Dog Violet flowers. Eventually, I found the leaves of an Early Spider Orchid basal rosette. Nearby Cotoneaster had been cleared of all fruits, I spotted fellow no native invasive Holm Oak seedlings. Of one of the few inches tall seedling, I was successful in uprooting, I was to see that root growth had been more prolific. Honeysuckle leaves stood out amongst its bare Bramble host. It was a Teasel head on a misshapen stem that I mistakenly looked at assuming it was a perched bird! I was to be fooled again, excited at seeing a peppering of Blackthorn Blossom, but no it was simple the walls of building beyond. However, I was to be rewarded after following one, of several, mammals runs I came to a small sheltered Blackthorn clump that did hold blossom. I passed both Burdock and Agrimony dry stems without picking up either’s burrs. Whilst a Green Woodpeckers laughter was heard, a Chaffinch was seen in a Sycamore perch with the white of Ballard Down cliffs as its backdrop.
Earlier I had passed over a blanket of drooped Bracken stems. Despite the formers dominance green knitting needle like blades of Crow Garlic managed to poke through! Passing along the hedgerow enclosed path section in Saxon, I found Hawthorn leaves out. Returning to read the weather a Chiffchaff contributed to the morning’s sound scape.