Monday 27 June 2011

Heatwave Heaven

Well, well, it was the fourth fabulous morning on the trot today on the reserve and with the temperature approaching 25 degrees by 8.00, it was hot, sticky and sunny and for me personally, superb. I'd be more than happy to have a month of this weather - a few hours on the reserve in the morning, out on my bike cycling around Minster at lunchtime, sunbathing in the garden with a cold beer in the afternoon and sitting out till after dark in the evening - who needs winter!

Oh well, back from daydreaming and the heat brought out more butterflies today although they mostly remain Meadow Browns and Whites still. But I did spot the first Small Skipper. The reserve lways has hundreds of these through July and August so hopefully that one is the forerunner of them all. Lastly, I found this Small Tort. along the seawall, although several were seen in the Spring it still remains a reserve rarety at the moment.


With birds at a premium wild flowers still remain the most interesting subject at the moment and here we have Milk Thistle and Ragwort.


Lady's Bedstraw.


Sea Lavender on the saltings.


Seed heads of Goatsbeard along the top of the sea wall.


And this Emmits Cast with a Birds Foot Trefoil topping.


Midge is lucky in that when she gets hot she can just wander into the fleet for a cool down, however at the moment the mud is often deeper than the water and she ends up coming out dirtier than she went in.


On the subject of water levels take a look at this old and well used by me, ditch crossing, at one stage in the winter the water covered that.


Likewise, the Delph Fleet continues to drop in depth.


However, the regular showers over the last couple of weeks have at least freshened up the surface grass and kept it a nice shade of green as these cattle would agree with.


Well that's it, push bike is about to come out of the garage, shorts are on and another hard day's retirement coming up!

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