The wonderful sound of 3 Skylarks singing gloriously from high above, the tiny brown dots just visible against the deep blue sky, 4 more Skylarks took flight from amongst the grasses in the meadows making 7 seen in all – seems to have been a good year for this ground nesting bird.
The scratchy call of a Common Whitethroat belied its presence as it perched hidden amongst the numerous spikes of the Burnet Rose. From nearby came the call of a Lesser Whitethroat and the long end note of a Yellowhammer made me search the bushes until I spotted this yellow-headed beauty.
In Johnston Meadow the Dyer’s Greenweed is putting on a show of golden yellow, with pink Pyramidal Orchid flowers on tall stems adding more delight.
Two Dark Green Fritillaries tumbled together before one alighted on the white head of a Corky-fruited Water-dropwort while the other continued on its way. Other butterflies on the wing included good numbers of Small Skippers, lots of black and white Marbled White, some Meadow Browns, Small Heaths and a couple of Ringlets. As I watched a Large White butterfly, a bird emerged from the leaves of the Black Bryony and Honeysuckle with a green caterpillar, this Meadow Pipit then disappeared from view.
The moth trap last night produced over 40 species including a huge Privet Hawkmoth, superb Peach Blossom, Fern, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Spectacled, Blackneck, Beautiful Hooktip as well as a Speckled Bush-cricket.
In the woods a Dove’s Foot Cranesbill flowers alongside the pale lilac of the Stinking Iris, with the tiny pink flowers of Snowberry nearby, whilst near the Castle the large white petals of the fragrant Mock Orange.
Finches galore including Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Chaffinches and Linnets, while perched on a patch of rock was a young Kestrel.