Nature Diary #4

Oak before Ash, we’re in for a Splash

Ash before Oak, we’re in for a Soak

So goes the old saying, and I can now report that this year the oak is most definitely out before the ash! They are both in flower at the moment, and have been for a while, but the oak leaves have been unfurling rapidly in the last week or so. The spell of warm, dry weather has meant that some of the early, more damp-loving wild flowers are now going over, to be replaced by later spring flowers. I have seen my first cowslips this week and a wonderful patch of purple Honesty at the side of the road. The campion, of which there were only a few flowers out last week, are punctuating the hedgerows with their vivid carmine pink and the bluebells and wild garlic have really come into their own.

Cowslips

Honesty

I have to admit that last week I was struggling a bit mentally and even my walks to the lake weren’t helping, as there seemed to be a definite lack of wildlife about and the only thing I did see was the carcass of a roe deer that had obviously caught its leg in the stock fence as it jumped and must have had a long and agonising death! ☹ There were several days when I didn’t go out at all but, on Wednesday, I gave myself a stern talking to and decided to go for a longer walk again to try to reset my mood.

My Wednesday walk

I set off at about 9.30 and, although it was sunny with a clear blue sky, there was a cool breeze still blowing so I took a cardigan for when I was walking in shade – I very soon had to take it off and tie it around my waist! I walked south along the A37 until I got to the turning to Pylle proper, being almost blown off my feet by the slipstream of the lorries rushing by – I’m sure they are going faster than the 50mph speed limit along here, unencumbered by other traffic, and cars in particular!

The rookery

Once in the quiet lane to Pylle I was able to concentrate on my surroundings and noted that, although the blackthorn blossom is nearly over, the hawthorn is now in full leaf with a promising tinge of cream to the tight flower buds. The rooks in the rookery were very busy building nests and squabbling with their neighbours and I met a small group of friendly cows that popped their heads over a gate to say ‘Hello’.

I love friendly cows!

I passed the lovely little Church, the Manor House and old farm buildings and then turned left by the pond and began to climb up the hill to Little Pennard. Here I passed between banks of wild garlic and bluebells with large oak trees arching overhead and small birds flitting in and out of the hedgerow. There were some small brown butterflies which I think were Speckled Wood, but they didn’t stay still long enough for me to get a really good look.

At the top of the hill I turned left again and walked back towards the main road, crossing it at the old Toll House and continuing along the ridgeway towards Ditcheat. I was finally able to identify some blossom that was still in tight bud when I passed this way last week – it was crab apple, and is now fully out and attracting bees and hover flies.

Crab apple blossom in the hedge

Crab apple blossom fully out

I don’t think I have ever driven the lane that runs along the ridge, as there are two other routes that I can take to Ditcheat, so it was a real surprise to suddenly be able to see all of south Somerset laid out on my right hand side and the land towards Shepton on my left. The views were stunning, but hazy, and everything was so quiet with so little traffic noise from the A37.

An interesting ruin on the ridgeway

 I ambled along enjoying the sunshine and the birdsong and then came across the top of Paul Nicholl’s training gallops, where a 4 x 4 was parked. Well, I’ve read enough Dick Francis novels to know that the trainer will wait at the top of the gallops (usually in a 4 x 4) to monitor the horses’ performance, so I paused in my perambulations and was soon rewarded by the sight of ten to twelve horses cantering up the gallops, their coats glistening in the sunshine, and the leather tack creaking as the jockeys’ weights shifted in their saddles. Every day these horses are groomed until their coats gleam – they all look as if they could be off to the parade ring, rather than just doing road work near their stables. Once, they’d safely picked their delicate way past me, nostrils flaring and breaths returning to normal, I continued on my way, my spirits lifted by seeing such beauty.

Racehorses

Just as the ridgeway starts to dip down into the pretty village of Ditcheat, I turned left and walked along Ditcheat Hill until I came to the track/stream bed that I walked up the other day. This time I was going down hill through the shady, garlic-lined banks where I saw more Speckled Wood and Orange Tip butterflies and saw and heard goldfinches and blackcaps in the trees overhead. I ducked under the huge fallen oak tree and continued down the rocky incline until I reached the wetter bit.
I felt quite pleased to see that my stream diversions were still working well and the track, for the most part, was drier than last week.

Fallen tree across the track

From there, it was just a short walk across the Solar Farm field to the end of the fishing lake, along the track and home – mood completely reset!

Wild mustard or Jack-by-the-Hedge

This morning, as I was awake before 5.00am, I decided to walk to the lake early. It wasn’t fully light when I set out, especially as it was raining, but the dawn chorus was already in full swing, with Peter the Pheasant (our local cock pheasant) adding his harsh call, at intervals, from the pony paddock. (Later on he will mooch round to Mary’s garden and peck around under the bird feeders). As I was walking towards one of the few remaining grass paddocks I could just make out a large rabbit-shape crouching near the track, but the speed with which it took off convinced me that it was a large hare that streaked off across the field before being lost to sight in the murk. I came around to the far end of the lake in the hope that I might spot the heron but, apart from a couple of moorhens, all was quiet. The badger sett was also deserted, so the badgers had obviously returned to their snug dens before first light, but then I looked in the other direction, across the field, and realised that I was being watched by a young roe buck. I immediately stood stock still which seemed to puzzle him as he started to come nearer and nearer, peering at me all the time, as if he couldn’t quite make out what I was. When he got to within about 50 yards of me a wood pigeon suddenly crashed out of the tree to my left and startled the deer, although he didn’t run off, just cautiously moved in a big arc around me. I did manage to fire off a quick photo but, unfortunately, it is very out of focus and quite dark. Just as I was about to leave the lake behind me, I turned and could just make out the ghostly silver-grey shape of Mr Heron coming in to land in search of breakfast – I’d been just that little bit too early for him!

Very out of focus roe buck - honestly!