some of my favourite things 2

and two heath fritillary butterflies, the first I have seen this year

some of my favourite things

marsh orchid, lesser butterfly orchid and heath spotted orchid, all out in Greenscombe meadows today.

goldfinch

A juvenile goldfinch. The lack of a red cap is very striking. For the very first time a grass snake was spotted in our paddock, just in time for RSPB wild bird and animal count.

jumping for joy

big H with her puppy substitute jumping for joy because we found some pink bugle today

stinking bob

When the canopy closes in the bluebells begin to fade away as other more vigorous plants like buttercups, ferns and grasses outgrow them. At about this time herb robert becomes much more prolific. Probably named after the Latin for red (ruber), its stems and leaves turn a fiery red as the summer wears on and the doctrine of signatures led to the plant being used to treat a variety of blood disorders. Some people find the smell of the leaves unpleasant hence its other nickname.

lanes

the lanes have finally achieved their full summer livery and the canopy has closed in; just as the sun disappears for another 4 weeks.