mud and flowers

walking at Morston continues to be a joy; low tides and low rainfall leave the mudholes and sticky black paths dried out and passable in sandals. the patterns of the cracked mud are dramatic.

as soon as we walk onto the marsh pairs of redshank mob us with their harsh calls.

they fly low and land close by, but the dogs ignore them.

towards the end of this week the air has been hazy with a strong east wind; the marsh shines silvery as the grasses all bend away from the wind.

I have discovered the pretty white star flower I found is not chickweed but greater stitchwort. I pulled some out of the hedgerow and checked it in my book. (by the way, Flora Brittanica is useles as a reference book, I am very disappointed with it. I have been using an elderly readers digest “Britain’s Wildlife” complete spotter’s guide)

Stellaria Holostea. and very starry it is.

in my garden all sorts of things are flowering. this is guelder rose, a common hedge shrub, with large red berries. it is poisonous.

I have a wild flower garden and I planted a lot of native shrubs seven years ago. the dog roses have become enormous with their looping habit of growth.

and the meadow itself; it is not at full blast yet, it needs some rain and a few more weeks growth, then there will be red poppies and yellow rattle as well as the big daisies. maybe some other things as well – yarrow, wild carrot, cornflower, ragged robin ……

today in the rain, rounding the edge of the wood, I found a roe deer doe outside the wood, munching on the small hawthorn trees. Tilda let out a squeal of frustration, and the doe looked round, as if in curiosity, she didn’t seem frightened. another doe, clearly visible in the wood, cracked a stick underfoot and slipped off into the trees. I was just fumbling with holding onto both dogs and trying to get my camera out when Tilda barked, and the spell was broken.