Pond life and more flowers

A day of rain and cooler weather has meant that a few more flowers have come into bloom whilst others are over their best.
The bluebells in the wood at the Meade for instance have been beautiful for a couple of weeks or more but now their colour is fading for another year.

 Other blooms are appearing now, such as yellow archangel, a member of the dead nettle family which doesn't sting. Unlike the garden variety, it doesn't have variegated leaves, but the latter is often seen growing wild as an escapee.
It is a valuable food source for bees and insects and likes damp and shady spots.












Another plant that likes damp spots, such as wet meadows and river banks, and which is just coming out in bloom, is the Lady's smock or Cuckooflower. A delicate pale lilac /pink flower it is associated with the arrival and call of the cuckoo, though you will be very lucky to hear one around here these days as their numbers have sadly declined rapidly in recent years.








Moorhen activity in the pond in the Meade has been increasing and if you stand quietly on the bridge you may be lucky enough to see them building their nest ( or nests), as I did today. The male and female look alike but you may be able to tell them apart as the male often collects the nest material and the female builds the nest, though both will incubate the eggs once laid. Incubation lasts around 3 weeks, so watch out for the fluffy young in early May!

Sitting tight!