There was the biggest swoop of Swallows I have seen yet this year. With a lesser richness of House Martins. Their numbers would vary throughout the morning. Coverage was persistent over the dry valley formed by the glacial melt water. Saxon was vacant then flooded with then became with Hirundinidae.
I walked through sun and dew towards the Hereford Cattle as one was most vociferous. I passed through a bouquet of Warblers. My colour deficiency making it hard to differentiate between them. However, of them one Chiff Chaff was clearly heard. Yellow flowered Ragwort and Agrimony, with the pale blue of Field Scabious added a splash of colour. Offshore the sea was flat call with clear views out to St. Albans and St. Catherines Heads. Many Woolly Thistle seed heads drooped; however, some were having their seeds harvested by Goldfinch. Jackdaws were apparent upon the coastal slopes. Initially there were two Magpie either side of the gully, however, a quartet we later seen together at the edge of a meadow. I reflected that they egg stealing would be limited to those of Woodpigeon that can breed all year round. Fresh Cowpats caught the interests of small flies. One Hereford Calf was amongst tall Bracken. A Cow beside the sleeper bridge harvested Rosehips and Ivy leaves. I was grateful that calf was night hiding under the bridge like a troll. One Jay flew parallel going upstream alongside the dry winterbourne. Hopefully the hay bale will be removed soon as the cattle will need to move back a graze the meadows…
Upon the bare branches of a Hawthorn within the boundary between two meadows perched a Kestrel. As I got closer, I found it had moved to perch upon a bale in an adjacent meadow. Oddly entering the next meadow, I was surprised to find another Kestrel doing the same!
Today two Speckled Wood, were seen one beside the Small Copse. A few Large White were noted, with the most seen amongst the Buddleia beside the Centre. In Saxon I spotted the empty cocoon, a bulge on a grass blade, of a Six Spot Burnet Moth. I reflected upon how few of them I had seen this year.