Swifts zooming overhead, their scimitar shaped wings and bullet body looking black as the fly, what a fabulous sight for the early patrol. These birds have just returned from their African winter feeding grounds, after 9 months away, and not having touched land or earth since leaving the nests way back in August. As more trickled in amongst them was the occasional Swallow looking so much smaller and such a different shape with their longer tails.
As I looked skyward a male Kestrel was hovering majestically, the fluttering wings tips keeping the head perfectly still as he searched for breakfast amongst the patches of Tor grass and Cowslips.
A little further along the path a Greater Bloody-nosed Beetle was trundling across, this is one of my favourite beetles which look just like a beetle should – the roundish shiny blacky-blue wings cases and many jointed legs and antennae.
Singing from the tops of the Blackthorn was a Common Whitethroat, the very distinctive scratchy song easy to identify, alongside it was a Song Thrush also singing loudly, while a Chiffchaff was monotonously calling from the Elder bush.
The meadows are still awash with Cowslips, a fantastic array of these yellow flowers, in patches you can also find the bright pink of the Early Purple Orchid standing tall as well as the darker purple Green-veined Orchid and the rare Early Spider Orchid – easily spotted once the eye is in, usually by seeing the pale green stems rather than the ‘furry’ brown flower.
The early sunlight causing a wonderful dappling in the woodlands, the young leaves from the various trees catching the light as well. As I surveyed the trees the number of Elms found surprised me as did the huge Willow and magnificent example of a Black Pine and a some Field Maples I didn’t even know existed – just shows that when you look closely it is amazing what can be found!
The smell in the woods of garlic is quite strong in places, as the Ramsons are flowering as is the 3-Cornered Leek, with just a few Bluebells adding blue to the white ground cover.