Blackthorn blossom has been and gone
So fades their sweet perfume
Now Hawthorn flowers have come along
A rather subtler bloom
A simpler scent to woo the bees
With a white and pink display
A delicate veil upon the trees
All through the month of May
With the shower of rain last night and the sunshine of the morning the park was looking positively radiant today. The Ash and Sycamore trees were covered with lush foliage and the birds of the park were sounding especially chirpy. A House Sparrow passed inches in front of my face, landing on the roof of the Learning Centre. Chiffchaffs were singing from the undergrowth, with Dunnocks and Wrens also chiming in periodically.
Setting out across Skipworth Meadow amid Yellow Rattle, Red clover and Cow Parsley, I admired the gorgeous view of the Purbeck hills in the distance. They were tinted slightly blue with the mist, and I noted a few spires and farms that seemed vaguely familiar. Taskers Meadow was flourishing with new growth, with Bulbous Buttercups, young Fleabane and Adder’s Tongue Fern particularly prolific.
Further out in the Meadows Pale Flax was in flower, as well as Birds Foot Trefoil and a few Early Purple Orchids, no longer really living up to their namesake. Whitethroats dominated the soundscape with their calls almost continuous throughout my journey, though the occasional Chaffinch would interject between their trills. Speckled Wood and Common Blue butterflies were on the wing as well, content to showcase their beauty in silence.
The Downlands were carpeted with rich patches of Chalk Milkwort flowers, the blue patchwork interspersed with growths of yellow Horseshoe Vetch, both a popular food plant for certain butterflies. Skylarks could clearly be heard performing high in the skies and I spent a few moments trying to catch glimpses in my binoculars.
Back at the Centre, I ran into Katie who’d also been out that morning. She’d spotted Stonechats, Greenfinches and Bullfinches. Impressive wildlife watching, but will she write you a poem?