The rain has started falling once I began to write, how lucky was that?
A rather windy start with gust up to 34 knots this morning. This meant tree tops swayed and grass blades shivered in the wind.
I had been on the hunt for spring flowers today. Happily I can report that Cowslip are in good numbers in Hoggets Holes (the most recent Meadow the cattle have slipped in!) and Johnson Meadow. At Johnson I took a peak at the pond which was brim full but devoid of Frog Spawn or Tadpoles. However, one of the culprits a Smooth Newt was just made under the wind rippled water surface. Around the scrub cleared pond margin a good show of Greater Celandines also brought colour to the day. Luckily I just avoided putting may hand in a Wood Pigeon’s “leavings” as I climbed over the dry stone. I found a little Blackthorn Blossom in south field near the small copse. Meanwhile near the Hay Rake Blackthorn was developing leaves instead! Upon the adjacent clay stone quarry scrape I discovered a ground dwelling Red / Brown Jelly Fungi.
Upon the thin soils of Lighthouse Green and beside Saxon Field’s Hay Rake quarry I found the basal rosettes of developing Early Spider Orchids so watch these spaces! Upon the green I found a Gall upon Bramble. This was a multi celled gall have at least ten hole from which young Gall Wasps had hatched out.
Most surprisingly there was a winterbourne flowing beneath Lighthouse Road Bridge. Leaning over the parapet I saw flow where the vegetation was less dense. However, up and downstream the water was travelling through the soil and rock (Limestone is permeable of course!). Further down the gully I could see the fluffy Willow Catkins.
I saw what appeared to be a Kestrel shifting in the wind cliff side below the mile markers. Offshore the Herring Gulls that were flying close to the cliffs I had hoped might have been Gannets. I heard to cock crow of a Pheasant and the song of one Skylark over the meadows.