Floating across the dull damp grey sky was a Kestrel, stopping to hover amazingly in mid-air as I watched, the tail rotating and the wings quivering as the head remain motionless, eyes fixed downwards searching for breakfast, nothing to see there so the grey and chestnut male moved off.
Clambering across a Bramble, the twisting leaves and stem of a Tufted Vetch, a splash of bright purple covering the scrub. Underneath some Lords and Ladies, the bright red round berries forming a 6 inch tower on a thick green stem.
The meadows full of flowers, including the tall yellow spike of Agrimony, some of whose flowers are now turning to seeds which have little hooks on, ready to grab onto any unsuspecting socks!
Patches of Bird’s-foot Trefoil, along with Black Medick and Hop Trefoil, plus Meadow Vetchling and Yellow Vetchling, are all to be found, these are all types of the pea family and all yellow in colour.
In contrast, swathes of dirty white across the fields from the Wild Carrot, many of these umbels (dome shaped like an umbrella) were being used as perches and for nectar by the orange Soldier Beetles.
In the gentle wind Yorkshire Fog, Timothy, Crested Dog’s Tail and Rye Grass all gently waving, with lots of yellow Rough Hawksbit amongst them.
Sliding across the ground, after another damp night, lots of snail and slugs. These eat an amazing amount of dead and decaying matter so are vital for the healthy habitats. Waving its ‘tall’ spiral shell a Cochlicella acuta, while the heavier shelled ‘Trapdoor’ Snail and flattened Wall Snail, also easily spotted.
From on the top of an area of Blackthorn scrub came the gorgeous call of a Yellowhammer, the song 'little-bit-oh-bread-and-no-cheeeeeese' ringing out across the downland.