Wildflower Lawn

#43 White Clover

#44 Black Medick

#45 Marjoram 

#46 Campanula 

#47 Ragwort 

#48 Red Clover

Coombe Hill

 A beautiful day as June enters the 'Peak Light' fortnight. Last year we waited too long before visiting Coombe Hill, so lots of the Orchids were over.

All Common Spotted Orchids. A marvellous display of huge variety.

Two spikes of Chalk Fragrant Orchid

Common Twayblade

Pyramidal Orchid 

Scabious

Wildflower Lawn

 #42 Chicory. This seems to have taken weeks to flower. The flowers were out in the morning and shut by the afternoon. It is the tallest plant on the lawn by some distance. 

Powdermill Wood

Speckled Wood 

Meadow Brown

 First time visit to this wood, which has clearly been used as a Sweet Chestnut coppice for centuries. Some of the 'stools' were several metres in diameter. A few cleared areas allowed for some diversity.

Dor Beetle 

Ancient coppice stool

Foxglove

Hill Road

 

Old Lodge

Emperor Dragonfly

 After watching Springwatch for three weeks, I felt the need to hear the song of the Willow Warbler. Old Lodge always feels like a bit of  a west country moor, with its Redstarts, Willow Warblers, Cuckoos and Woodlarks. 

 A late afternoon visit on a warm day meant most bird activity was paused, but the dragonflies were very interesting with Large-red Damselfly,  Emperor Dragonfly, Broad-bodied Chaser and Four-spotted Skimmer. 

 There were two Slow-worm and the song of Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Wren and Coal Tit. The discovery of a small tick on my phone screen precipitated the end of our visit with the song of a Willow Warbler from the trees around the car park.

Four-spotted Skimmer

Semaphore Flies. These males were busy waving away.

Broad-bodied Chaser. The 'owner' of one of the ponds, until an Emperor Dragonfly arrived.
 

Mating Large Red Damslefly

Slow-worm

Moths, Hill Road

Large Yellow Underwing 

Treble Brown-spot