Today's weather: Warmth and Sunshine
A beautiful, clear day begins; heat slowly rising into another glorious summer morning.
At first glance, the meadows appear a little dehydrated, having lost their green plumpness without the rain, but closer inspection shows them to be teeming with life: Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites and Six-spotted Burnets flutter through rich purple Knapp Weed and bright buttery Cats Ears. Almost blinding in the sun are creamy Corky-fruited Water-dropwort, Wild Carrot, and Wild Garlic.
Crickets tick away, hidden from sight, and Grasshoppers pop over my boots. Just beginning to bloom is Fleabane, with its fuzzy leaves and golden flowers, it looks a hybrid of miniature sunflowers and spearmint. Sweet Lady’s Bedstraw grows sporadically, with a scent of honey.
Creeping along the ground is Field Bindweed, and unable to resist, I lean in close and take a sniff, delighting in the feeling of its soft trumpet shaped head tickling over my nose as I inhale; a small reminiscence of my childhood.
Golden Bird’s-foot Trefoil stand out in a patch of dandelion puffs, hoverflies buzz around my head, and two Woodpigeons sit in a Sycamore sending forth their hypnotic coos. I am surprised by a patch of lilac Field Scabious and a Gatekeeper with its bright orange wings trimmed in brown. A Carrion Crow caws in the distance.
Nearby, Red Clovers are visited by a solitary Red-tailed Bumblebee. A small patch of Hay Rattle sways, dried to a phenomenal vermillion. I imagine I can hear them jingle in the soft breeze. In the shade of Little Copse, I take a moment to enjoy the respite of cooler air, smelling the tantalising combination of the warmed meadow earth mixed with richer pine and moisture from the wood. Cones and needles crunch beneath my boots.
Nearby, in Lighthouse Field, Paul startles a Roe Deer buck and spies three of our young Kestrels out frolicking.
The singing of a House Sparrow brings to my attention the lack of bird song heard this morning. I wonder where they’ve all been hiding.