A Pheasant family erupting from the long brown dry grass, woke me from my ponderings, as two took flight in a noisy flapping of feathers and another two ran through the grass, their feather colouring a good camouflage for the browns of the dried grasses.
Across the National Nature Reserve the meadows have now been cut, the annual hay cut part of the long-term management. Some areas have been left uncut to provide a variety of habitats for the invertebrates, including the Grasshoppers. This morning some Field Grasshoppers identified, take a really close look at them and they have a hairy chest!
On a wall a Speckled Bush-cricket stood, while below the more robust Dark Bush-cricket moved across the leaves of the Bramble.
The bright purple flowers of Greater Knapweed and of Black Knapweed adding some colour to the view as are the paler lilac of a few Field Scabious.
While admiring this my eye was diverted to the amazing sight of a Tiger or Wasp Spider. The large orangy-yellow and black striped body occupying a beautifully constructed web spun between the stems of the Cocksfoot, Tall Fescue and Tor Grass.
The tapping of a Stonechat was coming from the Blackthorn bush by the old stone quarr, this easily recognised sound being repeated by the rest of the family, who were showing a variety of plumages.