A glorious start to the day a as Skylark sung at full voice from high in the sky, a tiny brown dot fluttering above me.
As I focussed my binoculars I was distracted by a ‘wheezy squeak’ coming from the Blackthorn hedge in front of me, and there were two magnificent Bullfinches. The pink chest of the male stunning as the sunlight touched it, the female flashing her white rump as she flitted to another spiky branch.
The wafting smell of Honeysuckle, the flowers such a wonderful shape and coloured a mix of cream, pale pink and lemon. Also amongst the scrub the Dog Roses are rambling, pink and white flowers; a large variety of different rose species to be spotted by the connoisseur.
A tinkling of Goldfinches as a charm arrived in the flowering Elder, flashing their white red and gold feathers.
The downland awash still with Kidney Vetch, but much else to enjoy including some others of the ‘pea’ family; Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Meadow Vetchling, Yellow Vetchling – all yellow in colour, while the Grass Vetchling looks as if someone had deposited a single bright cerise pink flower on a strand of grass.
Patches of Wild Thyme, interspersed with Squinancywort and Eyebright and the slightly larger Self Heal.
Arriving on a weather beaten Hawthorn, two Meadow Pipits, good views of these slightly speckled birds as they perched, but then a Skylark arrived even closer to me – great chance to compare these two brown ground nesting birds.
A female Roe Deer stood still, the tan fur bright against the green of the grass, while in the next field a male Roe was also spotted.
A movement from a Bramble, and the chestnut stripe down the back, and flash of yellow from the head identified the stunning Yellowhammer.
Back round the meadows and more flowers galore, such as Corky-fruited Water-Dropwort, Pyramidal Orchids, Ox-eye Daisies, Pale Flax, Dyer’s Greenweed and Hay Rattle.
Fluttering about a few Small Heaths – perhaps a bit early in the day for most butterflies!