Self-Heal, Oxeye Daisy and a Pyramidal orchid brought colour to an unmown car park verge. It was a Kestrel that drifted over reservoir copse before disappearing towards Long Meadow. Under the copse shade of Sycamore, Ash and climbing Ivy it was still and cool. A carpet of Ivy covered the ground but in places Common Spotted Orchids stems appeared as they did in adjacent Skipworth Meadow.
I had followed a Deer or Badger track from copse to meadow and passed over a fallen moss and Ivy clad gap in a dry stone. Clearly the mammals had negotiated the post and rail fence with greater ease than I!
Smithfield had a bounty of Tufted Vetch but it was a clump of Lucerne (Alfalfa) which caught my eye with its violet flower spikes.
Greater Knapweed flowers were visited by both Marbled Whites and Buff-tailed Bumblee Bees. Several bedstraws were evident with a dainty cloud of Lady’s Bedstraw obvious upon and Ant Hill with its mustard colour flowers. It was Slender Bedstraw that had delicate white blooms. in particular. Meanwhile, another of the family Wild Madder showed its pale flowers and at scrub margin.
In Taskers I spotted a dark purple day flying moth which was either a Cinnabar or Six-spot Burnet Moth. It failed to stay still but flew with its proboscis out like the Humming Bird Hawkmoth that came into the education room yesterday. Upon discovering the empty grass blade cocoon nearby, I decided the moth was a Burnet. Amongst the Skippers I saw one was Small Skipper. At scrubby edge a stem of Jack of The Hedge (Garlic Mustard) held elongate seed pods. Climbing bramble and tree branches Black Bryony showed fruits making it most vine like.
From Saxon I observed a solo cow (Bull?) in a neighbour’s field passed by a solitary House Martin. Adders Tongue fern had to be hunted for part other vegetation to find it.
I met work placement Sam on his walking commute through Holcombe Meadow. Above us a Buzzard appeared to glide in a series of circles. The footpath had Sloe laiden branches and Old Man’s Beard tendrils encroaching into it. However, this dappled shade revealed a male Short Winged Conehead Bush-cricket being, that was still enough for me to do an anatomical sketch!