The drought and heat of April and May gave way finally to much needed rains and lower temperatures in June, which gave our newly-planted trees a break from the exceptionally dry Spring (and us a break from evening watering!). One or two are looking a little dried up, but most seem to be flourishing again. Oak galls have already been spotted on at least one of the saplings which was a surprise.
The grass growth has been really knocked back in the field and what was dense and almost thigh high last summer is around knee high this time and sparser. The hay crop locally is said to be around half of what was collected last year, particularly from fields with no applied fertilisers, like ours. We will probably have the hay cut in August this year (it was end of June in 2019).
The plants too, particularly those growing on the tumps have been slow to flower this time, but are now slowly coming into full (if short of stature) flourishing - without the crowding of grasses they had last year. Ladies Bedstraw, Birds Foot Trefoil, and Harebells are now visible in yellow and blue drifts - Harebells seem to be growing further up into the hay field than before. Yarrow has been really slow to flower, but is coming now. Cats Ear and Mouse Ear flowers are dotted around but in smaller numbers (last year Mouse Ear made a fantastic display with their lemony-yellow flowers - I hope they make a good comeback next year. Their dense mats of hairy leaves are still very evident on the dry slopes). And the delicate Lesser Stitchwort is having a fine year, flowering in frequent white constellations near the ground.
We have done a partial collection of Yellow Rattle seed from the plants we sowed last year and will sow these new seeds once hay is taken off the main field in the next few weeks. We hope to be a recipient of 'green hay' this year if there is any available - in the lower part of the hay meadow, in the hopes of starting to increase the species interest there. Having visiting some glorious Shropshire meadows this month, we have been quite inspired! Green hay (ie freshly-cut, not dried) is transferred from the donor to recipient site swiftly and scattered on short-cut, sometimes harrowed grass (ideally with bare patches) in order to help the new seeds find the soil. I will also try collecting some seeds to increase what we have (we have very little Knapweed in the field, but there are big areas of it over the hedge along the main road, now partially mowed down by council contractors).
(Yellow Rattle, Prickly Sedge?, Yarrow)
Pond goings-on
Damselflies and Chasers have been visiting our still-murky pond and darkly-exotic looking Demoiselles have been plying the little rill that emerges from the land drain (they seem to prefer running to still water). Meadow Browns and Skippers have been in evidence around the Marsh Thistles in particular and many bumble bees have been feeding on the Trefoil.
Baby froglets have now left the pond, having spent some days checking out affordable housing in the neighbourhood. They made me laugh one day - I noticed they had crawled up out of the pond and were hiding in little groups in the damp vertical cracks of the clayey pond banks, above the water. They sat in these cracks for some time with their heads poking out of the top, surveying their domain (I had no camera, alas). Such charismatic creatures, I will miss watching the tadpoles mooching around in the warmer shallows, pulling at algae and flashing their round gold-specked bellies! A host of pond insects still remain, including pond skaters, whirly-gig beetles, and diving beetles. I think I also spotted a dragonfly nymph hunting in the deeper water one very hot afternoon. I really never thought a muddy little pond would hold such fascination. It's interesting that the pond did not dry up despite having no lining (and the clay not having been puddled). It must be indicating the level of the water table.
D-Day: The De-culverting Project
Tomorrow is D-Day - when we start the de-culverting project in the lower field. Around 80 sections of old concrete field drain (1 metre diameter x 1 metre long) will be carefully removed and the water diverted via bunds and ditches back into the rushy areas to properly re-wet them. This part of the field used to be called The Bog, so it will be returning to its old designation if all goes to plan (the necessary licences have been granted by the Council). Exciting but slightly daunting too, since somewhat experimental. More on this next time!
... oh and Rainbows
Well I did mention rainbows. Here is one that appeared one evening last week. After a day of cool, dark grey clouds, the whole of the valley suddenly lit up at around 8.30pm with a dramatic yellow, thundery light. As if someone had flicked on a light. So I abandoned the dinner table (Simon is now used to me doing this on summer evenings) and waded out through soaking wet grasses, camera in hand to try and capture it. Everything was covered in glittering droplets of rain. The rainbow was fleeting, but I managed to take some shots with the harebells. I returned with very wet knees.
How interesting ! A lovely update on the comings and goings in your field. The photos are so good too, I particularly like the rainbow with the bells. Thank you !
Very interesting update 🙂.
Lovely update and love the photos, it must be so exciting to see the fields evolving.
Very interesting Sarah, and lovely photos, well worth wet knees! I'm most impressed by your encyclopaedic knowledge of wild flowers. Eulanwy has a project of painting wild flowers, so if we go our for a walk she's liable to return with handfuls of flowers whose names are totally alien to me!