We might have had a log fire going last night, resorted to a local discount warehouse yesterday afternoon due to the rain, and be working on our tax returns today, again because of the weather, but actually nature is out there doing what she does and getting on with Spring. Beating the bounds today before giving up due to the rain (have I mentioned it is a wet weekend?), we spotted a new orchid plant and location. Because they have tuber-like roots, for many orchids, once you have seen them flower in a location, you know to look in the same place the following year, particularly if that location isn't subject to local authority or local authority contractor "maintenance". So spotting this new flower on the opposite side of the meadow to its usual haunts was really pleasing. I imagine the seed was moved around by badger paw.
Thursday was a rare fine day, although not particularly warm. I was able to take advantage and plant more of the well chitted seed potatoes, so now there is just a final row of 8 or 9 to go in during the week. Each time I passed a particular tree where we had put up a nest box, I was aware of a lot of chattering noise, so I decided to pause, lean on my metaphorical spade and watch. Sure enough, after a couple of minutes a Great Tit went to the nest box opening to be greeted by a lot of squeaking and then silence as goodies were shared out. Once one parent had gone, there was a short pause, then the other parent turned up and the noises repeated themselves. Today when I walked past the box, all was silent. I hope the babies were tucked up warm and safe.
On Thursday, the Meadow was humming with insects: it was so loud, it was hard to distinguish the different birds that were also singing. I'm sure it made finding food easier for the fraught parents from the birdbox! At the entrance to the Meadow, I met a slow worm, basking in the sun and trying to warm itself up a bit. We have quite a lot in the area, but it was nice to see one, although I then had to make sure my accompanying cats ignored it.
It must be nearly a year since I invested in a pond dipping kit, and early in the week, while the ground was still too wet to work, I decided to have a play. You don't get instructions with a pond dipping kit - I guess they think it is obvious, or if you are getting a kit, you know what you are doing. My first attempt was therefore marginally successful and with lots of learning points - take a chair and a kneeler and some spare white paper, and only source water from one pond at a time being top of the list. I needed more time and more stable surfaces and a chair to let sediment settle properly, to focus properly and to have a chance of seeing whether the elongated fast thing had a hook on its tail or not. A better field guide might be useful too. I was cheered to see that there are a lot of water fleas around, as they are at the bottom of the food chain and if they are there, then other things can be too. I don't have a clue as to what the elongated fast thing was, other than fast and about a centimetre long.
There is a parasitic plant that can be confused with a bird's nest orchid, but isn't one of those. It grows off tree and shrub roots but at quite a distance and has no leaves. We found a lot of them on the eastern side of the Meadow this weekend, just starting to come up, and about 2 to 3 metres away from the row of fruit trees. I've not seen them there before, so am not sure if it is a weather related thing or a problem for the trees. Anyway, here is a photo.
While not totally unusual, the past few Mays have been warm and sunny, so this year's wet and cold version is not going down well with humans or cats. So far this month we have had over an inch of rain and a bit of thunder and hail, and more rain is forecast for the next couple of days before a 5 day window of warm and nice - or that is what we are promised. I hope "they" are right, as while the rain is keeping the water level in the ponds at a useful level for wildlife, everything else is getting a bit miserable.
Have a good week!
Comments