I like the challenge of telling one rock rose from another, at a glance. But it isn’t straightforward. Species grow close together and intermixed, strands of this and that entwined. The leaves are distinctive but sometimes you have to trace a leaf to its flower to be sure of ownership. The detail is a delight. The rock rose calyx is red, opening to sepals with a reddish stripe. And closing against the weather to show pattern and colour. So fresh buds lurk rosy beneath the flowers. The stem is rosy too. Rain drops linger amongst the flowers, keeping them fresh.
The early purple orchids are faded and wizened. Early, and for some time the only orchid. Tway-blades are budding and today I saw the first green-white buds of butterfly orchid. There are lesser redpoll calling, often in flight. They seem restless birds and I hear but do not see them. During the last week there were two splendid days when the sun was bright and the escarpment flora reflected it. Rock roses full-open to the sun, translucent. Now the day is cool and fresh, rain in the air. How will the flowers respond? A glance shows hoary rockrose withdrawn, flower petals soft-closed. Those grey-green leaves are distinctive. A few flowers of common rock rose are full-open, but not all. This isn’t the weather for pollinators and that’s the reason for flowers setting forth their wares- offering pollen and nectar. No pollinators, might as well rest a while and protect their stores. I like the challenge of telling one rock rose from another, at a glance. But it isn’t straightforward. Species grow close together and intermixed, strands of this and that entwined. The leaves are distinctive but sometimes you have to trace a leaf to its flower to be sure of ownership. The detail is a delight. The rock rose calyx is red, opening to sepals with a reddish stripe. And closing against the weather to show pattern and colour. So fresh buds lurk rosy beneath the flowers. The stem is rosy too. Rain drops linger amongst the flowers, keeping them fresh. When I meet locals I always ask if they’ve heard the cuckoo. There are several of us who listen out for the bird, and swop hearings and sightings, checking where it appears. For the last week I haven’t heard the cuckoo at all. Still, the year I found the juvenile in August was a quietish summer for cuckoo. So let’s hope they have bred successfully.
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