After a cold night which left a layer of ice on car windows, today dawned bright and sunny with a cooling breeze.
The spring rush is well under way now and some of the bigger trees are already bursting into leaf.
Passing Seaford cemetary this morning I took my usual route up onto the downs. The roadside verge here is already a riot of cleavers, cow parsley, and nettle with the greenery dotted here and there with the gorgeous sky blue flowers of alkanet.
Atop Frog Firle little lambs bleated in the sunshine. Here, hawthorn and elder are well into leaf amidst the hedge. The view from the ecscarpment was wonderfully clear and the sulphur yellow of rape could be seen in distant fields.
Negotiating the steep slope down to the valley I passed a little cowslip in bloom and the odd salad burnet bearing flower buds. It felt noticably warmer once I'd reached the bottom. Following the path as it traced it's way away from the river around the skirts of the hill I saw lots of rabbits. Their numerous burrows are surrounded by banks of arum, nettle, and hemlock and the greyish leaves of great mullein sprout up in places. As I walked, lots of birds were in song including chiff chaff and blackcap and I also heard the drumming of a great spotted woodpacker nearby. Lots of insects were on the wing too including an anthophora plumipes bee with it's extra long tongue. And what joy it was to be passed by my first common blue butterfly of the year!
Crossing the bridge I turned to walk alongside the river back towards Exceat. The dykes closeby are now full of water crowfoot flowers, and that delightful little flower; lady's smock, can be found in places blooming in the damp margins. Everywhere, blackthorn shares it's beautiful bossam.
The spring rush is well under way now and some of the bigger trees are already bursting into leaf.
Passing Seaford cemetary this morning I took my usual route up onto the downs. The roadside verge here is already a riot of cleavers, cow parsley, and nettle with the greenery dotted here and there with the gorgeous sky blue flowers of alkanet.
Atop Frog Firle little lambs bleated in the sunshine. Here, hawthorn and elder are well into leaf amidst the hedge. The view from the ecscarpment was wonderfully clear and the sulphur yellow of rape could be seen in distant fields.
Negotiating the steep slope down to the valley I passed a little cowslip in bloom and the odd salad burnet bearing flower buds. It felt noticably warmer once I'd reached the bottom. Following the path as it traced it's way away from the river around the skirts of the hill I saw lots of rabbits. Their numerous burrows are surrounded by banks of arum, nettle, and hemlock and the greyish leaves of great mullein sprout up in places. As I walked, lots of birds were in song including chiff chaff and blackcap and I also heard the drumming of a great spotted woodpacker nearby. Lots of insects were on the wing too including an anthophora plumipes bee with it's extra long tongue. And what joy it was to be passed by my first common blue butterfly of the year!
Crossing the bridge I turned to walk alongside the river back towards Exceat. The dykes closeby are now full of water crowfoot flowers, and that delightful little flower; lady's smock, can be found in places blooming in the damp margins. Everywhere, blackthorn shares it's beautiful bossam.
Upon reaching the reedbed I was immediately met by the sound of my first sedge warbler of the year, singing from deep within the reeds like some delirious, old fashioned computer.
Carpets of daisies and dandelions sprinkled the turf with their delightful flowers, and as I neared the end of my walk a group of three herons took lazily to flight across the fields.
Carpets of daisies and dandelions sprinkled the turf with their delightful flowers, and as I neared the end of my walk a group of three herons took lazily to flight across the fields.