Monday 18 June 2007

Walking the dogs

Mightily peeved at nature since scooping the remains of the baby nuthatch off the grass this morning. Need a walk to get the brain back on forward motion. We head across the farm to the wood. There is a full size roe deer, bouncing through the long grass. The dogs pretend to pursue but turn back at my call, and we plunge into the thigh high purple moor grass in the patch of culm. I count 24 orchids, a fluttering of butterflies, Bird's Foot Trefoil that will soon show its flowers, in fact all kinds of everything. I feel the stress drain out of me, literally through my feet into the boggy patches of watermint. Perhaps it will make the plants grow even more lush.

7 comments:

mountainear said...

24 orchids! Am I jealous or am I jealous? And a deer? (Actually, think I'd be cursing the deer....)

It is an amazing time of year. Sounds wonderful in your part of Devon.

Poetess said...

I love the slide. Very clever. Still new at blogging so have not progressed to that, have only just managed pictures.

My cat had 3 kittens 8wks ago and now we have had to give two of them away. I have just cried buckets (and my son who is 19 did too) feeling sad for both the kitten and their mum. I keep trying to tell myself it is nature, that they do let go but I just can't help wondering if mum is missing her kittens and visa versa. I think as humans we try to put human thoughts and feelings into nature. But then it doesn't make sense at all.

Guess nature is cruel sometimes.

Mopsa said...

Hi M'ear - yes, 24 spotted heath orchids and 8 southern marsh orchids counted so far this year. The culm area is small - just over an acre, but my, is it full of teeming rarities.
Poetess - the slide stuff is easy peasy, just go to www.slide.com

mountainear said...

Can I be a pain and ask a bit more about 'culm'? It's not a word I'm familiar with when describing grassland. Is it akin to a water meadow? Could we have a brief conducted tour?

Mopsa said...

Hi m'ear. This might help a little:
http://www.quoditch.org.uk/quoditchinfoculm.htm
http://www.jncc.gov.uk/protectedsites/SACselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK0012679
http://www.buglife.org.uk/conservation/adviceonmanagingbaphabitats/purplemoorgrassandrushpastures.htm

Mopsa said...

Oops, forgot to say I will also do a proper blog about it...

mountainear said...

Thanks, will check those sites. 'Quoditch' sounds very Hogwart's does it not? Look forward to the blog.