Today's weather: Overcast, but calm and not raining!
I think pink might the colour of the month as we enter July. Amongst the yellows of April and whites of May the meadows are brightly covered in Common Century, Common Restharrow and Greater Knapweed. I also spotted Squinancywort – a new favourite plant name for me! In the more sheltered fields a blanket of Common Spotted Orchid flowers can be seen. Even around the car parks Pyramidal Orchids have come into bloom.
Though a soggy morning, the wildlife on the park was active as always. I spotted Red-tailed Bumblebee and Common Carder Bumblebees hard at work. Many Meadow Brown butterflies were up bright and early too helping themselves to nectar. Yesterday I saw the first Dark Green Fritillary of the year; showing that even on the more drab days there’s new things to be seen!
I wondered through the field where our Hereford Cattle have been grazing and what a fine job they have done! Much better than any ranger could manually achieve on those slopes. Munching down on the tall growing Tor grass and freshly growing scrub will certainly allow all of the parks low-growing plants a head-start this time next year.
Walking around the Blackthorn and Hawthorn of the gully I heard the distant screeching of undoubtedly a newly fledged Peregrine Falcon letting the cliffs know that he or she is there! A Chiffchaff swooped overhead and dived into a bush of Elderflower. Likewise the white rump of a single Roe Deer did not hang around as it dived into the undergrowth.
As I made my way back to the learning centre, climbing up the hill, I was reminded of a young boy we had on a school group yesterday: When asked what he enjoyed most about the day he exclaimed ‘I’ve never climbed the side of a mountain before!’. It sure does feel like that sometimes! Back at the office I found a Tick crawling across my leg: What I get for wearing shorts I suppose, but it is the summer after all!