The downland is a picture at present, with flowers, grasses and birds in abundance.
Perched in the top of a Wild Apple tree was a Yellowhammer, its bright yellow head being captured in sunlight, a quite wonderful sight, this male then started to sing “little-bit-of-bread-no cheeeese” as it is described if you listen. Meanwhile a female Yellowhammer skulked around the nearby Blackthorn, hopefully being wooed.
In amongst the May blossom on the Hawthorn, a Chaffinch rattled off his tune while a number of bee species including the large Red-tailed Bumble Bee hovered around the flowers.
Hopping through the carpet of Horseshoe Vetch interspersed by the blues of Chalk Milkwort, the orange and yellows of Birds-foot Trefoil and the pinkish Salad Burnet balls, was a Robin and a few Linnets just great to watch.
High in the sky the continual song of Skylarks, at least 4 counted above the meadows, please keep you and your dogs to the paths to reduce the disturbance to these wonderful but rare ground nesting birds.
Amongst the long grass, antlers just showing above the leaves was a male Roe Deer, while in the next field a female was also lying in the sunshine.
The hedgerows awash with the hundreds of delicate tiny individual flowers making the umbel of Cow Parsley, with Pink Oxalis, Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Hedge Mustard and brilliant blue of poorly named Green Alkanet!
Just emerging are the white flowers of Elder, the bushes having recently turned green as the leaves opened and basking on one of them was a Red Admiral.
Some other butterflies spotted included Common Blue, Small Blue and Holly Blue, plus a Dingy Skipper – in my opinion they aren’t that dingy!
Last night, despite the chilly air a few Pipistrelle Bats were in flight.