The wonderful sound of Skylarks filling the air as I walked out across the meadows, at least 8 counted flying, some high in the sky, others hovering just above the long grasses and flowers and another perched on the uppermost branch of a Hawthorn tree. Hopefully this number of birds shows some successful breeding, so thank you for keeping to the meadow edges and therefore reducing the disturbance.
A flock of flickering Goldfinches caught my eye, a constant movement of gold, red and white as they moved about on the edge of the Blackthorn scrub.
The display of one of my favourite flowers (it’s the name) – Corky-fruited Water Dropwort – providing many splodges of white across the fields, which is combining with the tall yellow Agrimony and deep purple of the Tufted Vetch which is rambling across the grasses.
Some of the Selfheal flowers are the biggest I remember seeing, and the display of the pink-headed Pyramidal Orchids is also wonderful.
Over on the downland the Hereford Cattle are grazing, while checking on them, the sound of a Yellowhammer caught the ear – the distinctive ‘little-bit-o-bread’ ringing out, the bright yellow bird spotted perched amongst the Gorse.
A chattering amongst the cows and calves and a flock of 20 or so Starlings took off, alighting in a flower strewn Elder tree, although the flowers are now turning brown.
Black and white Marbled White butterflies and Meadow Browns flying as well as a few Small Skippers and Lulworth Skippers whose movement is more of a blurr.
Dripping off the stems of Wild Carrot was some frothy Cuckoo Spit, while on the yellow dandelion like flowers of Rough Hawksbeard and Hawksbit were some Solitary Bees and a glittering green Thick-kneed Flower Beetle.
A flash of a Dartford Warbler near the diagonal path distracted my watching of a family of Stonechats.