Another sunny morning, and my patrol begins with some waterpipe work, ready for the return of the Hereford cows and their calves this week.
As I strolled out across the meadows a glorious carpet of Hay Rattle, Kidney Vetch and Red Clover awaited me. Amongst these the taller stems of Common Spotted Orchid and the brighter pink Pyramidal Orchid, while trailing across the ground the left-handed twisting stems of Field Bindweed.
Dangling over the water trough the pale pink flowers of a large Dog Rose, while alongside the strange shapes of the Honeysuckle flowers, a combination of creams, yellows and pinks.
A Blackbird made me peer upwards to admire this yellow billed male, while on the next Hawthorn twig was a Chaffinch, hidden from view at first making for confusion, as the song that I heard was the tumbling tune of a Chaffinch, but the bird in the area was a Blackbird!
A quick glimpse of a Fox as it crossed amongst the grasses, I had already had a whiff of the pungent scent marking they do.
A small charm of Goldfinches perched in the Apple, the tinkling and zizz calls catching the ear, while the eye was caught by the stunning gold flashes of their feathers.
Along the hedgerows the white flower of Elder are still to be enjoyed as are those of the Wayfaring Tree. Stems and flower heads of Hogweed are much larger than the more delicate and darker stems of Rough Chervil.
The Stinking Iris is now blooming, although the flowers are fairly wispy and pale in colour, a contrast to those of the brilliant yellow Flag Iris in the pond.
A Chiffchaff was calling near the centre where last night’s moth trap revealed an interesting selection including Elephant Hawk-moth, Lackey Moth, Four-spotted Footman and Willow Beauty.