As I leave my car, the heavens open on me as the rain falls and falls – this doesn’t bother the Robin near me singing away happily. I decide to walk the Marvelous Meadows Kids Trail to check any damage. Walking the car park towards Long Meadow I see Wood Pigeons, and many a Robin, whilst a Wren sings away in the Large Copse. Wild Carrot, Red Clover and Ragwort are seen in within the long grasses within the car park. I walk onto Long Meadow, the sign here still in place, a Greater Black-backed Gull is seen above with its long wingspan and seemingly gliding with the strong wind.
I go into the Pleasure Ground Woodland’s – one of the arrow sings for the trail is nowhere to be seen, Oh no! the wind has blown it down – luckily this the only sign blown down in the higher wind, but the paper is drenched from the rain going inside the laminate – an issue with much of the signs it seems! The Crows above the Holm Oaks don’t seem to mind – as they make the caw sound, as the strong wind creates psithurism amongst the trees.
In the Large Copse, Chiffchaffs and Wrens are heard singing and calling amongst the Holm Oak, Sycamore and Ash, at the Ground Layer Stinking Iris is everywhere as well as Harts-tongue Fern, Shell Ferns, Enchanted Nightshade, and Ivy. Via the Tarmacked path and Lighthouse Field Blackthorn surrounds a Woolly Thistle, as Red Bartsia and Agrimony is spotted. The rain becomes so heavy that I become drenched as 3x other Humans are spotted walking – looking at me with a smile and a body language that suggests: “why do we do this?” as we all get wetter and wetter.
In the Meadows – Ox-eye, Saxon and South fields, still many wildflowers can be spotted from Field Scabious, Wild Carrot, Birds-foot Trefoil, Restharrow, Ragwort, Hoary Ragwort, Agrimony, Field Bindweed, Red Bartsia, Tufted Vetch, Lady’s Bedstraw, Yellow-wort, Common Daisies, Knapweed, Mouse-ear Hawksweed, Red Clover, Wild Parsnip (particularly in Saxon Field), and between Saxon and South Filed gate Ox-eye Daisies. Not much fauna seen except for brave Gatekeeper butterfly, as well as a Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Crows, Dunnock, and Goldfinches.