A wander out to the meadows, which are awash with colour, a glorious purple and white hue from the mixture of Greater Knapweed and Wild Carrot.
The twittering of some House Sparrows caught my attention as they moved, hidden from view, in the Hawthorn hedgerow, while perched on the end most twig was a Great Tit, the pale yellow body split by the black stripe.
On the shorter downland turf, a wonderful selection of flowers to enjoy – the Eyebright, with white petals with purple and yellow stripes (look closely) on a dark green leaved stem, smaller still the delicate white petals of Stars in the Grass or Bastard Toadflax as it is traditionally called (a quick search for the shield bug which lives on this tiny pant was unsuccessful.
Pink flower heads of Wild Thyme mix with the yellow of Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Hop Trefoil, as well as the delicately perfumed Ladies Bedstraw – a plant that was used to put in the pillow of ‘lady’s’
The delicate blue-lilac of Small Scabious showing against the grasses, the underside with an even deeper colouring.
A great view of a Peregrine Falcon as it slowly moved across the sky, the barrel shaped chest sporting the powerful pointed wings. The dark moustache obvious also as it flew.
A superb example of a Lesser or Black Knapweed growing from the hedgerow, the purple head tightly together looking quite like a Slender Thistle to which it is closely related and which could be seen close by.
Flickering overhead a small charm of Goldfinches, the yellow and red noticeable as they passed.
Alongside the path a display of the dull reddish Red Bartsia lining my route, while Yellow Rattle, Corky-fruited Water-dropwort and Pale Flax are all going to seed in the fields.