Another hot early morning but with a delightful westerly breeze coming across making the walk a real pleasure.
In the meadows some of the eastern fields have now been cut, the hay lying on the ground, always a sad sight, the sounds of Grasshoppers still everywhere though as Field and Meadow Grasshoppers are scratching their wings to produce their unique sounds. As I walked a constant flutter in front of me as they flew and jumped about. Fluttering above the long grass of Johnston Meadow a Skylark was spotted, the fields of the western end of the Park will not be cut until later in the season to allow the birds to finish breeding.
The large white webs of the Pisaura Mirabilis spider spotted across the fields as a Dark Bush-cricket walked along the stem of a Bramble.
A Kestrel was hovering, a fantastic view as it remained perfectly still, while a Peregrine Falcon zoomed above, the different shapes of these two birds of prey easy to see.
A Pied Wagtail looped overhead and a Song Thrush landed on the cut grass, as I watched a flutter of a Marbled White butterfly was joined by Meadow Browns which are now the most numerous butterfly about. Three species of Skipper in flight including Large, Small and Lulworth. Basking on the ground was a Small Copper and a Wall Brown.
Swathes of Greater Knapweed providing a purple hue interspersed with the yellow of Bristly Ox-tongue, Ragwort and lower to the ground Bird’s-foot Trefoil. Along the edges the Red Barsita is growing tall and is a strange reddish purple colour.
Some fantastic examples of Woolly Thistle, their purple heads emerging form the beautiful white circular heads. Alongside this is Burdock and the greeny-yellow of Wild Parsnip.
A patrol last night saw the delightful fluorescent green dots of Glow-worms, 18 counted on my short wander while a superb Tawny Owl flew past me and was then heard hooting, accompanying this was the chirping of Great Green Bush-crickets was coming from the scrub all around.