The was sky covered in clouds which were a variety of colours of grey as I took the path westwards, the ground beneath my feet turned to dust, the grass a dry brown.
The tall wonderfully furry Woolly Thistle, majestic with its purple head, surrounded by spikes, the buds an amazing sphere of spines in ever decreasing circles.
A patch of dull pink Hemp Agrimony was suddenly vacated by a flock of birds, after searching amongst the berry laden Hawthorn, I tracked some of them down to find Great Tit and Blue Tits flitting about as well as Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.
Reaching the field with the Hereford Cattle, I was looking for the Redstart or Spotted Flycatcher – both of which were seen earlier in the week feeding up before continuing their flight southwards. No sign of them but great views of a Sedge Warbler amongst the Old Man’s Beard – some of whose flowers have now turned to ‘beards’
A male Chaffinch perched on the top of a Wayfaring bush as Goldfinches tinkled overhead before landing in the long grass.
Looking down my path was blocked by an amazing spider web, the white zigzag pattern like a join, and in the middle a wonderful black and yellow Tiger Spider (also called Wasp Spider), the legs striped as it sat on its web.
Nearby a thin legged Harvestman was also wondering in the grass, and a Field Grasshopper also spotted (its hairy chest noticeable on very close inspection!).
For once, a Great Green Bush-cricket was fairly easy to see as it was clambering up the browned stems of Tall Fescue rather than merging into a mass of green.
The meadows are still providing some splashes of colours, especially the purples of Greater Knapweed and of Black Knapweed as well as the paler lilac of Field Scabious.
The white flowers of Wild Carrot are numerous, while Marjoram and Red Clover are more pinky. Lower in the sward Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Red Bartsia the main flowers, along with the odd spikes of Agrimony, Selfheal and Field Bindweed.