As I stand and watch a flock of Goldfinches, flitting between the haw covered Hawthorn bushes and a clump of brown Woolly Thistles, their red face spots seem to catch the light more than usual!
A slight sound, almost like a polite cough, came from very close, turning my head a young Roe Deer stopped in its tracks, the fluffy coat and slight spotting along its back still visible, the legs just looking too long for the body! After a few moments it turned and headed off at a trot. A good reason to keep your dog under very close control at all times, you can be surprised by what appears beside you.
In the fields, many of the flowers have turned to seed, but still some splashes of colour to enjoy. These include the yellows of thin spikes Agrimony, and the tightly compact petals of Fleabane along with the wispier flowers of Ragwort. The purples Black Knapweed and of Greater Knapweed fairly common as is Field Scabious, while the Small Scabious is harder to spot.
Along many of the fields edges the pinkish slightly one-sided Red Bartsia is abundant, being semi-parasitic perhaps the lack of grass growth has benefited it?
Across a patch of Lady’s Bedstraw, where just a couple of flowers remain, a large dark beetle caught the eye as it walked in a slow, almost clockwork action, a wonderful Greater Bloody-nosed Beetle.
Around the Gully, a squeaky whistling call, caught my ear, and a Bullfinch dropped in amongst the Old Man’s Beard, the white rump very easy to see as it landed, where it was soon joined by a second Bullfinch.
Taking flight from the grass was a pipit, as it landed in an Elder, perched on the top of a dead branch the marking of this Tree Pipit showed beautifully.
The chatting of a Stonechat heard, as I looked I also spotted Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and a Garden Warbler. Annoyingly I didn’t see either Redstart or Spotted flycatcher which have been seen in the last couple of days!