After a few days of fair-weather sunshine, this morning it is overcast and misty and as I get out of my car rain starts to fall – not a lot, but rain none the less – something our wildflowers and other plants need right now! I go straight to the bird hide to investigate what birds can be spotted – here Linnets, Dunnock, and a Great Tit can be spotted around the pond feeding on the seeds. Outside one can hear a Chiffchaff, Blackbird, and Robin.
As I left the bird hide, I had to go into the Learning Centre to put a light jacket on, the rain is heavier, but it’s not cold by any means! In Field 34 some of the Hawthorn is still in bloom. Ash trees can be spotted, a male Blackbird is sat on the grassy path leading to Saxon field, Horse-shoe vetch is spotted by the hedges, and there is the sharp Blackthorn. Opening the gate into South Field, I spot a Goldfinch fluttering above me. South Field is starting to see some flowers bloom, such as the yellow from the buttercups, Cowslips (though these not as blooming as last month), Horse-shoe vetch, Birds-foot Trefoil, as well as some white from one Ox-eye Daisy spotted further out. As I walk within South Field, the rain eases but the mist becomes denser.
Over in Saxon, I walk around the old pit, here again I spot Horse-shoe vetch and Birds-foot Trefoil, as well as Milkwort, and the tail end of the Early-spider Orchids and Early-purple Orchids, looking rather sad for themselves now. I notice a high buzzing noise coming from a bush – a Cotoneaster according to ‘Obsidentity’, the buzz was from a load of different species of bumblebee and bee, the obvious ones I could pick out were the Buff-tailed and White-tailed Bumblebees. The other species I am not able to identify as my bee/bumblebee ID is not great yet!
Moving on, Ox-Eye field is starting to live up to it’s name with some Ox-eye Daisies in bloom, also noticed is the Sainfoin in bloom, as well as the other flowers mentioned previously in Saxon and South fields. A Dunnock, Chaffinch and Wren can be heard, and a Dry-stone wall is in the middle of some repairs. Other birds heard and seen were Song Thrush, Skylark, Crow, Greenfinch, Whitethroat, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, and Blackcap.