Glorious sunshine for the beginning of my patrol (and day), as I stood gazing across the gully the wonderful mixture of bird songs was the only sound to be heard. The songs that I identified were Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Dunnock, Stonechat, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Greenfinch, Yellowhammer, Linnet and the constant warbling song of a Skylark drifting down from way above. Interspersed with this beauty was the occasional raucous call of Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Jay and Magpie plus the laughing call of a Green Woodpecker.
Even walking through the National Nature Reserve every day, there is always something different and new at this time of year. Along the hedgerow the white flowers of ‘Jack-by-the-hedge’ or Garlic Mustard caught my eye, and as I touched it the garlicky smell caught my nose. Herb Robert and Bluebells also in the are making a colourful scene.
As the grasses such as Yorkshire Fog and Coltsfoot begin to grow long and cover the meadows, the flowers such as Bulbous Buttercup are becoming more pronounced, alongside the Bulbous are Meadow Buttercups, which look just a little more delicate. These yellows along with a Black Medic, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, a mass of Red Clover, white Daisies and the delicate blue of the Pale Flax and Common Vetch.
Every now and then the tall deep pink spikes of Early Purple Orchids can be spotted, often in clumps amongst the grasses and other flowers.
Fluttering up from the ground was a Small Heath, the orange and grey wings making it fairly easy to identify, as does the brilliant turquoise of the Adonis Blue which were sunbathing in around the Horseshoe Vetch and iridescent green on the Green Hairstreak which was perched on the Gorse needle.
As I returned towards the centre a female Roe Deer was browsing on the new leaves of Blackthorn, carefully pulling the leaves without being caught by the vicious spikes.