Blue skies and white and grey clouds for the early patrol, a lovely morning. The ground wet after last nights rain (3.1 mm) and across it various coloured huge slugs were sliding, despite the biggest being very pale grey it was the Black Slug (Arion ater), a hole in its side indicating some attempt to eat it.
As I admired the movement of this mollusc a Dark Bush-cricket leapt into view, the bright yellow belly showing as it perched on the stem of a Greater Knapweed.
A clicking calling from an Elder bush, the berries of which are starting to turn a deep reddy-black, alerted me to a family of Long-tailed Tits flitting and dangling through the branches.
Suddenly my attention was caught by a dashing movement in the Hawthorn, a brown bird taking off, circling round and landing again, a Spotted Flycatcher – fantastic. Such a wonderful bird to watch as it perches, takes off aiming for an insect breakfast before landing again. As it sat facing away from me the pale buffy edges to its wings very obvious.
Along the Honeysuckle (with its strange pink and yellow shaped flowers) a few Meadow Browns were basking in the early sunshine, whilst a Speckled Wood was on the bright green leaf of the Black Bryony.
A burst of orange along the bottom of the line of Nettles, was the berries of Stinking Iris, bringing my attention to a pile of Blackberry laden Badger poo!
The meadows still have lots of colour including the yellow flowers of Fleabane, Hoary and Common Ragwort, Bristly Ox-tongue and Rough Hawksbit.
Added to this the purple of the rambling Tufted Vetch and upright Greater Knapweed and Black Knapweed, well as the shorter Self-heal.
Edging the paths the dull pink of Red Bartsia, a patch of Marjoram and the pink and white flowers of Restharrow.
Some tiny holes in the damp mud being buzzed by the Carrot Mining Bee, with the white flowered Wild Carrot nearby.