Today’s patrol out to check on the Hereford cattle herd at the far west end of the National Nature Reserve. In the strong breeze the tall grasses and flowers were waving making them less attractive for insects to land on.
In a sheltered spot a sudden sweet whiff of Lady’s Bedstraw hit the nostrils, large patches of this four petalled yellow flower abound. Nearby the lovely strong smell of Honeysuckle also smelt, the strange cream and pink flowers covering Blackthorn patch below.
The chatting call of families of Stonechats coming from the Bramble, Old Man’s Beard and Hawthorn scrub, the white wing patches spottable as they moved.
A good number of Chiffchaffs about along with Goldfinches, their tinkling calling bringing them to my attention as a charm landed in the top of the Pear tree, as they did the gold flashes on the wings caught the light.
Across the downland a wonderful selection of flowers to find, including the pinky-purple Wild Thyme and the almost white flowers of Squinancywort, both of these for full effect are best seen from low down, but if you are kneeling check first for the Picnic Thistle – whose leaves are very prickly and lying in-wait! Some of these thistles are now showing their superb purple flower head.
From the slopes two Meadow Pipits arose, then, in these characteristic fluttering umbrella flight dropped back amongst the grasses. Also I watched, two Rabbits scuttled into the scrub, making three of these now quite scarce mammals this morning.
As I strolled I could hear a Greenfinch was ‘seeping’ from the gully area and a Chaffinch ‘galloping’, while a Skylark’s song was tumbling from the sky.
Back around the meadows, where Marjoram, Pale Flax, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Rough Hawkbit and Yellow Rattle were all in flower. The patch of Dyer’s Greenweed is now a combination of yellow flowers and its large seed pods. Field Bindweed rambling across the ground alongside Restharrow.