Yesterday, the hay cutting of the meadows commenced with Fields 1, 2,42 & 43 cut. Uncut margins, especially where there are ant hills, remains as some cover for small mammals. Nevertheless, this is an opportunity for predators such as the annual Barn Owl visit.
A black & white stripped moth resting on the trap was a Jersey Tiger. Duke disturbed a Common Shrew which ran of and caught a moth! Amongst the remaining flowers were Fleabane (hinting at a damper location). Noisy wing beats were associated with a Wood Pigeon exiting the leaf cover of a Field Maple. Both Skippers and Speckled Wood were amongst this dappled shade. Upon hearing a Raven, I saw two Magpies near the source of the call, at the edges of the Large Copse. A second Raven flew west mobbing what I believed to have been a Buzzard.
Another remain flower, Greater Knapweed, was visited by a Bee, beside the drove. Wild Bay Willowherb flowers were drove side whilst I enjoyed patches of shade. Hemp Agrimony, Ragwort and Bracken were where thorn had not taken. Both a Horse Chestnut and Elders had bare branches and leaf burn where their branches protruded above dry-stone wall height. Entering a grazed downland, they were fresher flowers including Agrimony, Horseshoe Vetch and Ladies Bedstraw. The dry dew pond’s Flag Iris held seed ponds whilst a carpet of a Mayweed’s flowers covered the cracked ground.
A Swallow passed over head whilst it was a Swift that later passed over the coastal ridge. Upon a breeze a thistle seed clock drifted by. I passed one Hereford Cow that had a calf that was suckling. Again, the bulk of the heard were in the level, seaward southwest corner of 10. Perhaps foolishly I followed a cattle track through the upper gully scrub. I weaved between and under Blackthorn, Hawthorn, and Ivy. Of the later wrist size creepers were noted. Whilst I reach the bed of the gully winterbourne, I had to retrace my steps to cross the gully. Crisp, dry Jelly Ear fungi was, as often, upon Elder. Yesterday, I caught a male Dark Green Bush cricket and saw a Painted Lady butterflies.