Rue-leaved saxifrage 7 May Early in the morning a bluish haze blotted out the fells. Heard my first cuckoo of spring, where I had seen a cuckoo in silent flight last week and where I found him two years ago. I lingered, checked out every likely tree where I knew he might display. A hare jinked away over limestone clitter into the juniper. Made my way to a stone ruin on a hunch- there had been rain earlier in the week so there might be rue leaved saxifrage.
I know several locations and here were flowers- only here. It’s a lovely plant, minute white flowers and succulent rosy leaves against a foil of rock. The first fresh flowers. I knelt taking photographs until my knees protested at the sharp stabbing rock . Linnet in flight over heard. As I wandered on a kestrel was hunting. A pleasing variety of birds but none abundant. Some sixteen years ago swallows skimmed thick over the Race Course pasture but there’s little farming at Bradleyfield Farm these days. It’s used for storing stuff, carpets, a garage for an ice cream van, a boat !!! So none of the farmyard manure that would breed flies and provide food for swallows. And if barn doors are closed they will not nest.
Wood anemone occurs here and there on Scout Scar and I found a patch of wood sorrel under a hawthorn.
Wood anemone occurs here and there on Scout Scar and I found a patch of wood sorrel under a hawthorn.
Species list Saturday 7 May 2016 on Scout Scar
Alkanet, garlic mustard, forget me not, violet, Cowslip, wood anemone, wood sorrel, rue-leaved saxifrage, sedge, gorse, early purple orchid.
Tortoiseshell butterfly.
Hare
Cuckoo, skylark, linnet, willow warbler, wren, swallow, swift, mistle thrush, meadow pipilt, buzzard, raven, kestrel.
Alkanet, garlic mustard, forget me not, violet, Cowslip, wood anemone, wood sorrel, rue-leaved saxifrage, sedge, gorse, early purple orchid.
Tortoiseshell butterfly.
Hare
Cuckoo, skylark, linnet, willow warbler, wren, swallow, swift, mistle thrush, meadow pipilt, buzzard, raven, kestrel.
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