A male House Sparrow took a brief pause upon the wildlife garden fence before returning to foraging for the family! A Field Maple was showing seed masts to be set to the wind in the future.
South Field’s sward nearly hid two Carrion Crows amongst it, with Plantain, Tufted Vetch, Hay Rattle, Meadow Buttercup, Horseshoe Vetch and Cowslips in flower amongst it. In Saxon Field a Magpie landed near to the hay rake. About the shallow quarr there was still Milkwort in flower and nearby spent orchid stems. Fresh Fleabane leaves indicated damp patches on the south facing side of Saxon Field. A Cranesbill had managed to establish itself in a crevice amongst the limestone base of a stone wall stile.
It should be no surprise that the air was filled with the song of Whitethroat, Skylark and Chaffinch. Upon a long since reclaimed quarry spoil pile were ten caterpillars of the Large White Butterfly. Their yellow and black bodies contrasted against the Horseshoe Vetch they munched amongst.
Upon the coastal ridge a Lesser Bloody-nose Beetle walked over the well-trodden path. At the margin Eyebright and Kidney Vetch flowered upon well drained soils. The Hereford Cattle and calves had still not ventured down the coastal slopes of field 3A. We are likely to use electric fencing to encourage grazing of the coastal slop. I was surprised they had not yet ventured there to the cattle trough. The cattle turned the dew pond into a churned clayed puddle, however, it still showed Flag Iris with its yellow flowers. I noted that despite grazing Cowslips and Speedwell survived.
By now we have become accustomed to Pale Flax and other previously mentioned flowers in the meadows. Today I noted that these have been joined with a few Ox Eye Daisy stems.