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April 14th, 2020

14/4/2020

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PictureMale orange-tip butterfly
An air-frost and a ground-frost overnight and there's a chill to the early morning. But the wind direction has changed from NNE to SW and the day is bright and milder.   Toward mid-day it's warm  and bright enough for this male orange-tip butterfly to venture forth, seeking to establish a new terrain. 
There's the soft call of linnet and as I watch from behind a wall one flies over my head and I hear the sound of linnet's wings.

There are redpoll calling in flight.  And willow warbler are singing.  There's a haze over the fells.   From Helsington Church I walk down to Wells Garth where I find this fresh orange-tip butterfly.   Violets are in flower, and the first bluebells.  
wild cherry is in bloom and damson trees.  Wild garlic is pungent in the hedgerow, its star-flowers are lovely.  
Picture
This image shows the orange-tip upper wing, and a glimpse of the greenish mottled under-wing and it cryptic colouring and pattern.
No con-trails and peaceful skies, clean air.   BBC's Tom Heap, Costing the Earth, has a scientist who reckons you have to go back to the early 20th century to experience such clean air, the result of a significant reduction in road and air traffic.  
The sky is for skylark and their soaring song of hope.  Be still a moment and listen to birdsong all about you. The blackbird in your garden, the curlew audible from Kendal Race Course  On Scout Scar the earth is parched and dry, cracks appear where mud has baked hard.   Dried out winter grasses sound beneath my boots.  It's tinder dry.
This morning, 15th April, Farming Today has an item on sky lanterns- a potential source of moorland fires and of litter. A seller of sky lanterns wants us to buy them to support the NHS.   Farmers, the fire-service and all who love the countryside would rather we applaud the NHS and show our appreciation in better ways. 
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    Jan Wiltshire is a nature writer living in Cumbria. She also explores islands and coast and the wildlife experience. (See Home and My Books)

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