I arrived to a calm, cool & refreshing mist. A brief inspection from the bird hide revealed that the new “squirrel proof” peanut feeder had been visited since Friday. The bird “drinker” was still in place as were my 10 mammal live capture traps that were store in a large mammal trap to prevent Foxes or Badgers from relocating traps.
Uncut areas revealed Field Bindweed, Fleabane, Greater Knapweed, Ragwort and Wild Parsnip flowers still. Long vetch seeded pods were primed for release. Prior to entering Skipworth I picked up a sweet apple cent from the hay cut. If my diary is a little thin it was because I went out counting bales and searching for bird pellets upon bales (none found- today). Whilst Field Scabious flowers were only in the uncut margin. Horseshoe Vetch was found in both cut and uncut as the mower rode over them. I moved the detached gate from the entrance to the Large Copse. Upon the stone steps was a small puddle and the remains of Black Pine cones discarded by Squirrels. A breeze sent small pitter patters from one leaf to another particularly noticeable on Sycamore leaves. Damp Bramble leaves glistened. At ground level, both Dock and Garlic Mustard stems were dry, one holding seed the other pods.
In Taskers, a Meadow Brown flitted amongst the hay cut sward, which was substantial enough for good grazing. I was happy the see the healthy laid hedge on the Copse margin with its Elm standards. In Saxon, the hay cut had only touched a strip which included the Adders Tongue Fern patch. Nearby, Self-Heal flowers added some colour. I realised dew hand moisten my footwear whilst Wood Pigeon produced soothing sounds. From tall grass in Holcombe a score of Goldfinches emerged, both a Robin and I observed as a strengthened charm of thirty dispersed. I thought I saw a Stonechat picking off an Elderberry, but it might have been an adjacent insect.
To me the scrub beside a dry-stone wall appeared to frame a “Round Window” giving a view into Holcombe. The mewing Herring Gulls eventually passe overhead flying inland. In the distance there appeared to be an abundance of bales, not surprisingly, associated with the Quarry Meadows beside California Farm. I thought it was a trio of Skylark that silently forage the cut area of Eight Acres. From somewhere a Pheasant Cock crowed. A Kestrel appeared and hovered over field two. Near Hoggets, there were plump purple sloes and the fruits of Honeysuckle. Path side stems of Dyers Greenweed held a bounty of seeds. Within a margin fluff and yellow petals surprisingly remained upon a stem of Kidney Vetch.