Despite a bright risen sun there was still cloud and strong breeze. Aircraft vapour trails streaked patched of blue sky. The wind rustled dry leaves and weas heard passing through the Large Copse canopy of mostly Black Pine. Upon one taller slender trunk of Black Pine were several old and fresh sap runs. The acorns upon Holm Oak were so much darker than our native specimens. Investigations revealed recent Badger excavation under the shade, whilst later I had to avoid stepping on a very fresh Badger latrine in Lighthouse Field. Unsurprisingly Sloe stones were present.
Entering mown Taskers Meadow I set up a Carrion Crow duo, before Wood Pigeons fled the copse itself. From the meadow I saw into the copse where upon the floor there was a bounty of Ash saplings despite being under Holm Oak. In Saxon Swallow activity began, whilst at floor level I met the know big patch of Fleabane marking damp ground. I found one such flower remaining. Whilst watching a Stonechat duo, a Roe Deer emerged from between scrub clumps. It used a hind leg to scratch behind its right ear before turning tail and disappearing. I followed the mammal negotiating hoof modified tracks. Three Meadow Pipits put in the briefest of appearances, not unusual. Occasional yellow flowers of Agrimony gave some colour. Yarrow added its white blooms and feathers leaves.
Dense cover of Bracken and Old Mans Beard below Saxons “Bluebell Trough” meant I kept to mammal tracks. Today the trough itself had yellow flowers of Bristly Ox Tongue about, these being visited by Bees. An opaque tent of web between Blackthorn spines looked like evidence of Brown Tailed Moth.
I met the full force of the wind entering Ox Eye Meadow where many Swallows flew high, low, twisted, turned and crossed each other’s flight paths. Here I found two spent Wasp Spider egg sacks. These resemble striped miniature hot air balloons. A tall stem of a Wild Rose reached meters above a dry-stone wall. Some one quarter of it was bent ninety degrees by the wind, much of the stem showed only thorns with leaves focused on the tip only. At ground level a dry Dock stem had snapped but still held dark brown seed pods.