Clouded thoughts cool head
The cows lie under the trees
Skies about to break
This morning the air felt refreshingly mild, possibly still warm, but a definite change from the last few days. From the bird hide I spy two Goldfinches jumping between the branches of Buddleia, possibly waiting for the bird feeders to be topped up! Around the corner a group of Chiffchaffs playfully danced along the hedgerow, where ripening Sloes replace the Elderflower blooms.
Across the park I stumble upon many Bloody-nosed Beetles, plodding their way dangerously along the footpaths… a significant amount of my time involves moving them back into the grass - safe from the heavy step of oblivious boots! Red tailed Bumblebees sip nectar from the bright purple Knapweed flowers which have grown unusually close to the ground amidst the summer heatwave.
Wall Brown and Gatekeeper butterflies battle over the walls and gates, at the meadows edge. Apparently their territories are less well established, than their names would have you believe. As they quench their thirst in a nearby trough, a gathering on Linnets chirp noisily, before flying off and leaving behind the constant drone of the meadow’s Grasshoppers. Busy.
As I stroll across the Herren Ground meadow, I spot a Whitethroat sitting proudly atop a Hawthorn tree. Satisfying there is not a Ragwort in sight, after clearing it with the volunteers on Wednesday. This plant can poisonous to cattle when digested in large amounts, so summer work parties are spent pulling it from the meadows, ready to be cut and baled into ragwort-free hay!
Upon returning to the office, a single carrot lay across my desk: The mid-summer harvest of Cat and Katie’s vegetable plot no doubt! Definitely not as futile as the Wild Carrots across the park, but not exactly going to feed the five thousand either…