I was delighted to fresh emergences this year including Adders Tongue Fern.
Before that a Song Thrush was heard and seen singing at the garden edge. Nearby Ash leaf buds had burst open whilst there were Blackthorn blossoms going over. There were still exposed deciduous tree branches in both Copse. Amongst South Fields Cowslips were some Grass and Sedge flowers too. Great Tit, Blue Tit, Green Finch, Whitethroat and Blackbird all were seen from either scrub or hedgerow in Saxon North. A Blackbird pecked at short turf whilst further along the hedgerow and Carrion Crow simply perched. Amongst the shown grass in damp soil, with Fleabane leaves, I was delighted to see again the ground hugging Adder’s Tongue Ferns. Some held fronds only but one larger one also showed its tongue! Onwards and a Banded Snail was on the stem of a knee-high Blackthorn. Chandelier-like Sycamore flowers dangled in the hedge. In Saxon a Skylark preened upon a Bramble stem that had risen through and above scrub.
Upon separate Ant Hills were one Black and one Red / Brown Slug. I was investigating Saxon North as we are going to return 20 Hereford cattle to the park soon. It certainly would benefit from grazing. Amongst the open grassland between the scrub was a patch of Crosswort and small patches of Bluebells. Larger Bluebell patches were found alongside the dry-stone wall shared with Holcombe. Cloud-like Green Algae clumps floated on the surface of the water trough surface. I was surprised that Elder buds beside a Drove gate had still not opened. In Ox Eye Meadow I admired the work going into rebuilding a section of wall and retaining its 45-degree pitch. Nearby pale Harts Tongue Fern fronds stood where scrub cover once shaded them. In the Meadow both buds of Greater Knapweed and Yellow Rattle flowers were visible.
A quartet of Carrion Crows flew up the Gully ravine, before I found one Horseshoe Vetch flower.