The grey cloud cover a pleasant change as I headed onto the National Nature Reserve. The meadows looking marvellous as they are dotted with a variety of pink flowers.
Pride of place today went to the Pyramidal Orchids, some quite tall examples with an almost tube shaped flower head, rather than a pyramid. Alongside was the Red Clover showing through the sparse grasses and the more grey-pink of the Red Bartsia, the flowers hanging on one side of the stem.
The very pale pink of the Common Spotted Orchids, many of which showing signs of going to seed at the bottom, with shrivelled brown petals.
Having admired these I was amazed at the sight of 5 Bee Orchids, these e possibly the tallest I have ever seen here, 5-6 flower up the stems. The timing is also strange as most of this species was out about 3-4 weeks ago.
On the cliffs the Guillemot numbers are diminishing as they finish their breeding season, with the chicks and male parents heading out to sea, the females follow a short while later.
Opening the moth traps this morning produced a lovely array of shapes, sizes and colours including the Lappet, which looks like a crumpled brown beech leaf, a Chinese Character – reminiscent of a dollop of bird poo, but the star was a female Ghost Moth, a pale buffy brown, with delicate darker shapes, the male of this moth is white.
After the wedding had finished last night, I was delighted to see two green spots in the grass, and my first Glow-worms of the year – magical!
Landing in the Wild Pear was a Song Thrush, in its beak the smashed shell and soft innards of a snail. A flock of Linnets twittered nearby, flashes of pink and brown.
Growing tall by the wall, the large dark pink flowers of a Hollyhock.