Up arrival Rabbits ran for cover about the Learning Centre. Perhaps it was the calls of the Carrion Crows that alerted the Kestrel towards large copse. Our Kestrel flew at heights that looked to be three times the height of the Corsican Pine Trees.
My patrol focused upon the Meadows today where I was delighted by flowers and Skylarks in particular. It was stunning to see the performance of a Skylark, which managed to keep itself in a fixed position in the sky with rapid wing beats whilst also broadcasting its song. Thank to those walkers whom have kept to the mown and obvious wide paths I heard at least half a dozen of these ground nesting birds.
Both Blackthorn and Hawthorn in places have commenced their developed fruits from their early blossoms. I found fresh fleshy Jelly Ear fungus upon a reliable Elder stem. Indeed many of the Elder are in flower providing for Hoverflies and bees. Whilst the Cowslips have gone to seed the Teasels are just developing their flower heads.
Within the Castle Terrace wildflower meadow we had Bladder Campion displaying its white flowers. As its flower suggests it is a similar to Sea Campion, but its tall erect stems define it from its cliff hugging coastal cousin. Our volunteer accommodation had a splendid specimen of the arable margin plant Vipers Burgloss. Today I discovered Yellow Vetchling which had rather broad leaves, typically yellow flowers and climbing tendrils. Miniature “pea pods” indicated that some vetches have be pollinated and thus gone to seed. The tall Yellow flower spikes of Agrimony were display as we the rounded yellow flowers of Hairy Medick with its clover like leaves.
From the scrub at the field edges I glimpsed or heard Chiff Chaff, Chaffinch, Whitethroat and Great Tit. A Blackboard broadcast its song from the peak of a Sycamore in Saxon Field.