It felt positively summery this morning, with the sun already high in the sky, and it’s heat already beating beating down upon the park.
The loud looping verses of a Song Thrush ring out across South Field. In the background, a Chiffchaff chirps continuously and some Pigeons coo from the Large Copse.
The meadows are a mosaic of colour, from the pink Clover and Yellow Rattle, to the tall stems of blue Pale Flax which dance in the slight breeze. Spikes of Common Spotted Orchids can be seen throughout and many butterflies already flit between the flowers; Small Heath, Red Admiral, and Meadow Brown.
Step further into the meadows and the sky is filled with the Skylark song. They float higher and higher into the sky, as they belt out their song and disappear into the blue. Other Skylarks chirp from the tops of the hedgerows which are now adorned in sprays of Elderflowers.
Ox-eye Daisies can be found in great swathes of white petals, whilst impressive patches of yellow are displayed by the Dandelion and Buttercup.
With a bit of a stomp on, I made it my mission to walk all the way out to the old tip to find an abundance of Bee Orchids growing by the substation. I counted 32 Bee Orchids huddled together in patch fringing the Gorse. A further 5 were counted amongst the hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids and thousands of Ox-eye Daisy. It’s quite the sight!