mistle fledglings

finally, with a great deal of whirring and clicking and general pandemonium, the mistle fledglings have just appeared. They tend to try and pretend they do not exist by keeping very still until you approach just a bit too close.

rock rose

for example (see below) I have never seen a rock rose growing wild locally, but this one is growing in the bank of the little stream between Old Mill and Luckett.

Old Mill by the stream

I met Freddy Fisher, our local post man, in the woods today with his springer spaniels. He told me a lot about the land between Old Mill and Luckett; after the first world war the land was used to provide gardens and allotments for unemployed local men. This explains why there are so many unusual plants in this area. Freddy is a mine of information which should be taken down and recorded for posterity.

alkanet

this is the inaptly named green alkanet, one of my favourite blue flowers at this time of year

brimstones bluebells and campion

all of a sudden there are lots of brimstone butterflies in the woods, the top photo is on bluebells, not our lovely native variety but the big fleshy Spanish variety, and the bottom photo is on campion for contrast. They are very quick in flight and rarely seem to settle with wings spread.

ducks in a row

I am not sure what type of water fowl these were. There are mallards in the middle ground and sheep safely grazing. Poor lamb to be consumed so by one so consumed by life.