My mission was to check on the Hereford Cattle in Saxon as I had expanded their grazing area, slightly yesterday. It had not been an easy task in that I had to relocate some wire and posts from an active fence line to complete the new line.
On my way I passed House Sparrow and Robin that shared a near leafless Sycamore. A Carrion Crow called from the Large Copse whilst six Jackdaw were amongst the Cowslips in Skipworth Meadow. Amongst the meadows uncut margin were a few Borage plants and the yellow flowers of Black Medic, and a few emerging Tufted Vetch flowers. Meanwhile, amongst the former hay cut sward were a few Hay / Yellow Rattle flowers out. Red Clover had good blooms too! Ragwort leaves were noticed, which made me hope that our volunteers would be able return to help with the annual ragwort pull. In the Large Copse a few Bluebells were near the Monterey Cyprus that leans through the dry-stone wall into Skipworth. A hardened Jelly Ear fungus grew upon an unhealthy Sycamore branch. In the paddock I found a “Cat” hole. It had been excavated to reveal two water pipes in a pool!
Finally, in Saxon I admired the Adders tongue fern outside of the grazing area. The Hereford cattle were quiet and unseen such that I cautiously clambered of the live electric fence to find them. In the north west corner, I found fourteen I was confident the other four were in the scrub. In the distance I noticed that the naughty Sheep were still on the quarry meadow.
Whilst the cows had had an impact upon the Tor Grass there was still plenty of trip hazards presented by Blackthorn Saplings, Blackberry tendrils and Old Man’s Beard that had colonised the ground. A pair of Raven’s called and flew west past South Barn. They ignored the brief mobbing of a Carrion Crow. Later I saw the pair (I guess) at the gully mouth. A Jay was seen near Hay rake Quarr whilst Robins, Blackbirds, Great Tits and Blue Tits all were seen. A solo Long Tailed Tit appear alongside its “cousins” whilst more Chaffinches and Whitethroat were heard than seen. Not until in Ox Eye Meadow, did I hear the song of Skylarks. I thought I saw a few Salad Burnet flowers within the Upper Gully Quarried slopes. Certainly, the delicate pollen cloud like yellow flowers of Crosswort were seen. Whilst listening to a Blackcap tutting, I saw a Roe Deer heading into the gully cover from the coastal downland.