I have given up on watching the weather forecast, better to look out the window and prepare for the unexpected, it does however make planning tasks a little tricky. Walking up a slightly overgrown footpath the damp seeped through my trousers, the lovely grasses and flowers that form these footpaths make great covers and corridors for birds, small mammals, and insects.
In Taskers the meadows was a lovely mix of Yellow Rattle, Dandelion, Meadow Buttercup, Red Clover and Pyramidal Orchids, a Meadow Brown Butterfly was flitting around the colourful flowers. Cleavers was growing madly over a hedge that was laid in winter, in need of a tidy before it smothers the hedge and prevents new growth from taking hold.
Amongst a huge patch of dark purple Tufted Vetch, yellow Agrimony flowers stand tall and a White-tailed Bumble Bee was enjoying the sweetness of the nearby Knapweed. Along another hedge-line white Privet flowers are showing and the dark red fruits of Hawthorn are starting to appear.
In a mix of Common Spotted Orchids that are just going over, Selfheal and Eye-bright add extra colour, a white moth flitted around and Field Mushrooms and also starting to appear. Juvenile and adult Robin, Dunnock and Blue Tits were all pecking the ground around a gateway, there must have been something very tasty there. Above was the constant sound of Skylarks throughout my whole walk and Goldfinches kept appearing along the hedgerows.
Lady’s Bedstraw and Thyme add a lovely yellow and purple colouring to a disturbed piece of ground. A Whitethroat was singing loudly from the top of a Hawthorn it’s tufted head in full show. Johnston Meadow is a delight a constant changing of colour and shapes, Dyers Green Weed is prominent at the south end.