1987
On April 26th
I saw the first butterfly for this year; a large Cabbage White.
On May 6th I heard the first Cuckoo and I think it
was May 4th when I saw the first Bog Violet flowering
on the edge of Radcliffe’s Meadow.
May 8th
A week ago
I saw a goose in Radcliffe’s Hay Meadow that I have seen before,
but never identified. It had a grey back and white face with
black bars on the back of its head. I think from my bird book
that it must be a Bar-Headed Goose. I couldn’t find any other
Goose that visits Britain with a white face or black bars at the
back of the head. The Barnacle Goose has been present again this
year with the Canada Geese. I wonder if it is the same one I
originally saw.
May 16th
The sun is quite
warm but the wind is fresh and chilly. In the fields alongside
Longworth Lane the Mayflowers are out. At home they are only in
bud. Such a difference, probably due to altitude! At the bottom
of Radcliffe’s Hay Meadow Globe flowers are blooming. I didn’t
expect them to be out till June. At Egremont House Solomon’s
Seal is flowering like some exotic plant, with long leaves and
drooping flowers - which look like the fairies may play a tune
on them.
Starlings have
nested in the eaves, and their blue almost turquoise eggshells
can be found up and down the place. There are plenty of lambs
romping about now, and about forty young cows – not young enough
to be calves, but not old enough to be heifers.
Lesser Celandines
have been flowering for a couple of weeks in the front garden
and the Willows Den. Yesterday for the first time I saw Swallows
on the farm, though I’m sure they’ve been here for quite a
while.
May 19th
An overcast day,
with warm sunshine fighting its way through at times. Over the
wall at the bus stop Hemlock is flowering, and along the
pavement many Dandelions are raising golden heads. A male
Chaffinch flew out of the plantation as I walked past. In the
back garden the Moschatel I brought back from the Lake District
three years ago, is flowering, and the wild strawberries have
leaves on them. In the front garden the primroses still have
plenty of pale yellow flowers, but they are past their best now.
Tonight I went a
walk to the Willows Den which is a mass of flowers. Pretty white
Wood Anemones dance in the breeze amongst golden Kingcups,
yellow Celandines and Globe Flowers, and I found the first
Mayflowers in full bloom. Also to my surprise the Greater
Stitchwort is flowering. Pure white, star shaped flowers with
long slender pointed leaves.
May 21st
The wind has been
cold all day, with the sun trying to shine. In the Lane Field I
saw three Oystercatchers and a mysterious reddy-brown duck, with
black and white wings, which I saw yesterday. It was quite a
large Duck and I wonder if it is an ornamental variety which has
escaped from a park.
May 22nd
This morning at
half four, I heard the
Cuckoo calling. Again today I saw three Oyster-catcher in the
Lane Field. I watched them through my binoculars and saw the
characteristic long red bills, which distinguish them from any
other wader. To my delight I discovered plenty of tadpoles in
the channel in the Tip Field. I only saw one lot of frogspawn
this Spring, so I am relieved that some was successfully laid
and has hatched out. I’m thinking of catching a few and raising
them till they are froglets, and then letting them go at the
same place I caught them. I love tadpoles and frogs, they
fascinate me.
May 23rd
In Radcliffe’s Hay
Meadow, several Buttercups, Daisies and Dandelions are
flowering. A couple of weeks ago it was just a bare green
stretch. Everywhere you can see the Yellow Rattle leaves
shooting up. Mouse-ear is flowering as well. Tonight at
quarter to ten, as I
walked home, I could hear the Cuckoo calling. It keeps busy and
late hours.
May 27th
Today I saw the
strange goose through my binoculars, quite close in the Lane
Field. It has a large pink beak, greyish brown head, ginger and
green tail feathers, brown-grey body and a large dark patch on
its breast. I’d love to find out what it is. There are loads of
Globeflowers out in the Willows Den. I don’t think I’ve ever
seen so many; and in Pump House Wood Earthnut is flowering.
After much deliberation and consultation I have decided the
strange goose must be an Egyptian Goose, and I am lucky enough
to have a picture, although the breast is much redder brown on
our goose.
May 30th
This morning it
rained, but by three o’clock blue sky was showing through the
clouds and bright sunshine. In the valley behind the ornamental
cottages, Bluebells have been flowering for the past fortnight.
Today I saw an Orange Tipped Butterfly there. It is only the
second one I have ever seen locally. I was delighted to see it.
May 31st
The weather is
quite chilly and there has been a wind blowing almost constantly
for a week, but the sun has been shining. In Radcliffe’s Field
red clover is starting to flower, and on the well in front of
the house wood sorrel is flowering. Tonight I saw a pair of
cuckoo flying together. One didn’t beat its wings every time but
glided in between beating them and called “Cook, cook”. The
other one called “cuckoo”. I presume that they were a pair
courting.
June 10th
In the Tip Field
today I found two white clover flowers, and on the Hawthorn are
tiny white blossoms with red stamens. Up the Back Field I found
a small patch of red clover, and in many places the tiny yellow
starry flowers of Tormentil were out. Dusty caught a baby rabbit
up the Back Field: I made her drop it. She also caught a shrew.
It had short brown fur and a long nose with small beady eyes.
June 12th
A few years ago
and on more than one occasion, I found a Bugle, and sometimes
two or three Bugle flowers in the ditch area of the Tip Field at
this time of year. So today I searched for them and found one.
It was lovely to see – a little pyramid of purple flowers. It’s
a pity there was only one but if the plant survives, one is
never too many. In the front garden to my delight a White
Deadnettle is flowering. It must be from the seed of those I
planted there several years ago: I think I got them in the Lake
District. On closer inspection I found there were two plants but
one hasn’t yet flowered.
June 22nd
In the Willows
Den, Germander Speedwell is flowering: a lovely haze of blue
amongst the grass. Yellow Rattle is in flower in the meadow, and
in Pump House Wood the Laburnums are covered with lovely yellow
chains. In the Lane Field ditch, Brooklime is flowering. Tiny
blue spots, all over the place.
For the past three
weeks Bluebells have been flowering both at Tockholes and in the
valley below the bleach works. Red Campions flower near Gale
Brook, and in the surrounding woodland, along with Butterbur and
Herb Robert.
June 26th
Last night while
driving up the lane at about
quarter to twelve, we saw, to my delight, a hedgehog
routing amongst the vegetation. My brother had to swerve to miss
it. It is only the second one I have ever seen on the farm – the
first I saw some years ago. Around the gates, on what is very
much like wasteland, the Pineapple Mayweed is flowering. In the
Tip Field, the tiny purple flowers of the Self Heal are out.
June 27th
In a boggy patch
in the Lane Field and quite near the pond, I found a single
Heath Spotted Orchid flowering today. It is wonderful to find
one in a different location from the Willows Den. Maybe they
will spread successfully, which would be great. Chickweed is
flowering in many places on the farm where there is long grass,
and by the drive there is a furry-leaved Chickweed with white
flowers which I think might be Common Mouse-ear.
About six weeks
ago I saw a pair of Goldfinches at the bus terminus. I have just
remembered and had forgotten for some reason to record it. We
sometimes get Goldfinches in the Autumn because we have plenty
of thistle seeds for them to eat. A Mallard has successfully
raised four ducklings on the pond. She started off with about
seven, but I think the crows may have got some.