Some orchids and quick veg survey

Thursday 12 July was actually dry, warm and sunny(ish). so much so that in the evening Hebe and I were delighted to be able to go for our walk without needing to don all the wet weather gear, although I did keep the long boots.  As I wasn't trudging along, head ducked down to keep the rain from cascading down my face I was able to look around and see how the fields have grown, in fact it was so sunny I squinting as I watched the swallows hawking across the long grass.  There was a large group of mixed tits but mostly blue tits tseeping away in the Scot's pines.  The hay fields, or at least the margins, are full of wildflowers.  On a rise above the beck I found spotted orchids, the first time I've ever seen them here, there were also ox-eyed daisy, seed heads of devil's bit scabious and milkmaids. So then I did a quick survey which revealed three plantain varieties, seven different grasses from yorkshire fog and cocksfoot to a small soft fescue, but no catstail or timothy and all in full flower with the cocksfoot almost at shoulder height, which made ID really quite easy (for a change!).  Then lower down nearer the water (long boots definitely required) two juncus spp, three sedges, a small rosette of ragged robin and something that may be water forget-me-not spreading up the soggy bank, I didn't feel like sliding down to double check but Hebe had a good luck although her ID skills aren't that great extending only as far as whether it's edible or not!  All this within a few metres and that's without venturing into the old hawthorn hedge or under the gnarled old oaks, just shows what's there in the old pasture.  For plantaholics the sogginess is a blessing in disguise because under normal circumstances this field would have been cut last month.