It was a delight to escape Field 38 where some 700 metres of ongoing fencing has been a priority for me. In the Wildlife Garden from one of the unmown Bird Ringer’s netting rides a Cranefly was set up. Within the pond some ten Palmate Newts were seen whilst at the edge Pendulous Sedge flowers dangles and five stems of Lady’s Smock bloomed. Only one Ram’s Horn Snail was noticed in the water whilst Water Mint protruded out of it. Under three of the garden’s reptile sheets were Meadow Ant colonies. The fourth had distinctive Sloe stones with side hole’s having nibbled by Wood Mouse. There were also a few Woodlice which Rosa referred to a “Hobby Horse” in a Dorset dialect! Nearby an Elder held tight green buds.
Butterflies were represented by a Speckled Wood in dappled shade, Red Admiral over scrub and a possible Grizzled Skipper (rather pale & bland but having the distinctive Skipper pattern) that basked on the gully’s eastern rock face.
Luckily it took only bending the float arm within the South Field / Wares water trough to stop it from over flowing. Nearby another trough had its pipe disconnected, luckily the supply was off!
Off the gully mouth a solo oarsman was active with fishing pots. Nearby on the cliff top dry-stone wall a Raven perched with two Jackdaws adjacent. A second Raven came to the calls of the first. It was a delight to see the yellow flower of Kidney Vetch and the pinks of Thrift on near the gully mouth. Eyebright had been seen on very thin soils over exposed rock. The yellow “yolk” of it flowers were hardly noticeable.
A Robin perched in one small Apple Tree, but it was a neighbouring specimen which blossomed. Stonechats and Whitethroats were seen a heard along with plenty of Blackbird activity. Amongst the gully scrub the flowers of Wayfaring Trees stood out. Underneath the tip of a Woodsage leaf, the Cuckoo Spit of a Leaf Hopper nymph caused the leaf the curl slightly. Whilst not yet showing flowers I noticed stems of both Yellow Wort and Yellow Rattle. A possible Song Thrush anvil was suggested by fresh Garden Snail shell remains. One living such snail had a very bleached shell which offered little camouflage against the grass. Another clung to a Blackthorn sapling’s leaf.