1st - 6th June
John flailed more paths and in the time saved from strimming, took more photographs. The first dragonflies and damselflies of the year are appearing on the ponds, and the first of the fledglings are appearing at the feeders, Dave tackled strimming the paths that are too narrow for the flail mower. John saw the first swallows of the year flying around the Top Grazing and near the sheds, however as yet they resist the temptation of the new shelf on the shepherd’s hut. John and Clare have decided to install a composting lavatory on site and the splendidly named Little John, made from recycled materials, arrived.
Orange Hawkweed, also known as Fox and Cubs, Grim the Collier and the Devil’s Paintbrush. This perennial was introduced to Britain from Europe in the seventeenth century, so not strictly native however it adds bright spots of colour in the Meadow.
Silverweed
A Coal tit feeding its young
Coal tit juvenile looking remarkably like a Marsh tit, however this is the bird being fed by the adult in the photograph on the left.
Male Broad-bodied chaser
Azure damselfly
Outside lavatory
7th June
The trail camera remains pointing at the Blue tits’ nest. The parent birds are still visiting with the same frequency as last month. Several clips show the adult birds removing either faecal matter or pieces of shell from the nest.
8th June
Clare set about her annual thistle challenge on the Meadow. She pulled out 259, far fewer than in the two previous years. There will be ones she missed that will become apparent as they grow, however it’s an encouraging start. Clare also removed Hogweed and Dock from round the shepherd’s hut. John, not realising what Clare had been doing, was puzzled to find what he thought were deer couches in an unlikely area.
10th June
John and Clare were dismayed to discover that just as they hoped to capture footage of the Blue tits fledging, the trail camera decided to play up and stopped working. Heigh ho. Next year maybe.
13th June
John started work on the shed that will house the Little John.
14th June
More wildflowers are appearing. Yellow Rattle continues its spread across the Meadow and the east end of the Top Grazing. When Clare asked Juno if she remembered the nickname of Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Juno responded with ‘Cheese and Ham’. An intelligent answer and more to her taste.
Meadow Cranesbill
Bird’s Foot Trefoil aka Bacon and Eggs or Cheese and Ham
Yellow Rattle
20th June
The trail camera has abandoned any attempt to take video footage and reverted to still images before giving up altogether. One of the last images was of a young buck in full summer coat in the Pit Wood. This may be the buck that the camera captured in the Scrub last month.
24th June
While Clare was walking through the Pit Wood with Jane B to identify wildflowers, they noticed a large patch of Water mint near the Quadrilateral Bridge that had not been noticed before. In trying to describe its location near the spring stream, Clare decided that said spring stream could be named Bruce.
25th June
A family of six Great Tits and a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker were using the feeders by the shepherd’s hut. John recorded more wildflowers with his camera.
Common Spotted Orchid
Common Sorrel
Common Field Speedwell
Ragged Robin
Red Clover is increasing on both the Meadow and the Top Grazing. Alys Fowler in The Guardian wrote recently about the plant and its benefits. ‘Red Clover photosynthesises constantly, which means it is endlessly filling the root zone in the soil with nutrients…[which] increases microbial activity…[it] is famous for fixing atmospheric nitrogen into the soil via its nodules; this in turn increases the nitrogen available for other plants.’
In spite of its damaged wing, this Red Admiral was able to fly.
27th June
John and Clare are planning an inaugural overnight stay in the shepherd’s hut in July. Much planning is going into this.
30th June
More shepherd’s hut work. Liddells is looking particularly ‘orchidaceous’: of, relating to, or characteristic of the family Orchidaceae, comprising the orchids - OED Word of the Day 02.06.21.
Beginnings of a kitchen…
… and overhead storage
The first Willow arbour is doing spectacularly well
John says, “Not everything is black and white…”
Oh yes it is, if you don’t turn off the monochrome setting.