Oh, to be in England

So goes the opening line of Browning's "Home-thoughts from abroad". Forgetting the recent moans about the weather, the political nonsense and the dreadful things that happen elsewhere - I just feel so grateful to live in England.
I spent this morning on Hunsdon Meads which follow the old Lammas system of not mowing until July. The area has never been sprayed with herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers and the result is a flower rich meadow such as we used to have, but have agri-chemicalled out of existence elsewhere. It makes economic sense too as the hay gathered here is far superior to grass alone hay. This hay contains minerals brought up from lower soil levels by wild flower roots.

Flower rich meadow of red clover, hayrattle, oxeye daisy and many more.


Hayrattle is so called because the ripe seed rattles inside the flower.


The meadow is bounded by the Stort navigation and the old River Stort where we have otters. This is our largest damsel fly.

 

Really good pics as usual Hornbeam, especially the damselfly.

 

Fantastic pics!

Yes I adore England too.

 

Mmmmmm could almost smell that meadow - and the damsel fly is lovely - a little early???

Add to that the sound of the Paul Simon concert now on Radio 2 - mmmmmmm

 

well Fran, sad to say but as a musician I find that any sound after work has finished is an invasion on my ears (or rather hears) but at the moment9.25pm I can hear the last crys of all the birds going to bed and it really is music to my ears and you could hear this no where else but England - so makes up for all the rain of the last few weeks.

 

There were quite a number of these damsel flies by the river this morning. The blue sheen on the wings indicate a male and I didn't see any females. It is Agrion splendens and it really is splendid and almost as big as a dragonfly. Fairly widespread but absent from Scotland.

The difference between a damsel fly and a dragonfly apart from size?? Damsels rest with their wings folded back and dragon flies with their wings outstretched.

Agree with you Waco regarding noise. The older I get the more noise intolerant I get! Why do people have to have phones, radios and other gadgets on all the time? Are they scared of silence? I have always been a keen walker, but I walk alone now with my dog simply because ramblers in groups never stop talking. Grrrr!

Must end on a more peaceful note from Gray's Elegy:

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day
The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea,
The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me

 

That is so true about ramblers talking.There is nothing worse than walking the hills only to stumble across a herd of these so called walkers, all with their heads down, and talking at the tops of their voices,and what are they talking about...Work Work and more Work!!

Can't they shut up for 5 minutes and let some of us enjoy our walk...

Kandyfloss

 

well i walk alone with my dogs, but have to say every 10 minutes I meet another lone soul and turn into Mrs Gossip! what country life is all about.

same on my horse, but when you are on a horse you are not a human so you get deer and all sorts which just don't bother to hide as they would when a human turned up.

Love the picture hornbeam - like a modern Constable - love the verse too. where have all the curlews gone?

 

Stopping for a chat is fine, but on organised group rambles - the chatter never stops. They go on and on about work, the price of petrol, groceries, houses, cars, holidays etc etc! They just follow the leader, never look at a map, never look at the scenery, never see the wildflowers and scare all the birds and animals away! Walked for eight days in Crete with a group. The chatter never stopped from dawn till dusk. Guess it's the social thing that attracts.

 

Hornbeam they are absolutely beautiful pics!!