Bright and sunny as I took a patrol through the meadows, which are full of wildflowers and grasses. Fluttering through this were butterflies including the Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper, both two colours of brown and tan, but the Gatekeeper with more defined markings on its wings. Skitting along the short paths the tan and grey looking Small Heath settling every now and then wings closed.
As I watched a Small Skipper landed on the lilac coloured flower of a Field Scabious, while a few seconds later a similar – but different skipper landed on the prickly non-flowering head of a Woolly Thistle. This one having black tip to its antennae, so an Essex Skipper – just happened I was already on my knees so spotted this feature identifying is as a different species.
Some superb flowers to enjoy including the rafts of Wild Carrot, alongside the Corky-fruited Water-dropwort and the yellow flowered Wild Parsnip.
Lower to the ground the Restharrow is showing its pink with white flowers, while Red Bartsia appeared almost pinkish grey and furry.
The round yellow blobs of Hop Trefoil covered a Yellow Meadow Ant Hill as a clump of Pyramidal Orchids provided a splash of bright pink.
In Johnston Meadow a patch of Betony is looking magnificent, a deep pink flower head on square stem with long serrated.
The sound of Meadow Grasshoppers chirping amongst the Yorkshire Fog, Meadow Barley and Yellow Oat Grass, with a Field Grasshopper also spotted.
The pale pink flowers of Black Horehound showing through the hedgerow, as I looked a Dark Bush-cricket leapt onto the leaf while a White-lipped Snail slid across the heart-shaped leaf of Black Bryony.
A female Roe Deer slipped through one of our hogget holes in a dry-stone wall (designed for young sheep), stopping the sun shining on her sleek back, before bounding off.