A wonderful sunny early Sunday morning, characterised by the numerous hirundines flashing about through the air.
The chattering of these Swallows, the longer narrower tails marking them out from the smaller triangular tailed, House Martins and Sand Martins.
The House Martins easy to identify with a white rump flashing as they whizzed past, while more were perched on the electricity lines.
A flutter from the long damp clump of Wild Carrot, and a Meadow Brown butterfly emerged to take flight in the sunshine. A flash of red spotted as a Red Admiral was basking on the mottled grey backdrop of a dry-stone wall.
From the path a Small Heath spotted, alternated grey-brown colour as it flew, on landing it closed its wings so just the underwing visible, while elsewhere a Large White and a bright orange, black and white Painted Lady.
In a Horse Chestnut, the leaves of which are turning brown, a Common Whitethroat perched, showing off the identifying white throat feature.
Nearby a flock of Goldfinches landed in amongst the brown head of a patch of Woolly and Spear Thistles, the red and gold being reflected in the rays of the sun.
The chestnut cap and a Blackcap moved around the twigs of an Elder, the deep red (almost black at a glance) berries a favourite of many birds at this time of year.
The large round hay bales have been collected and removed from some of the meadows, but are still present in others, and on one a Meadow Pipit was stood.
Along some of the paths the dull pinkish coloured Red Bartsia is still in bloom, as are a couple of Red Clovers, Greater Knapweeds, Field Scabious and Yarrow flowers.
Records of a Garden Warbler, Yellow Wagtail and Tree Pipit added to the birdlife today, while yesterday a flight of 4 large Cattle Egrets passed overhead.