Bel's Wood

June has been dry and hot and it feels like full summer came early this year. The smell of honeysuckle and elderflower fills the air.                                       Honeysuckle Elderflower There are Small Pearl Fritillary, Meadow Brown Butterflies this year as well as Speckled Woods which I had in abundance last year as well.   Small Pearl Fritillary Meadow Brown Speckled woods (from last summer - I just haven't photographed them this year as they are common at the wood) The beck ran dry last week ahead of the rain that finally arriving.    Even this small bit of water is giving habitat for tiny waterboatman      There is now a slow trickle after the heavy rain at the weekend. More is needed soon or this will dry up again. Animals and birds have been visiting the beck in search of water and I can't help hearing a Jonny Morris voice in my head when the fox and badger walk along the path speculating where the beck has gone. Fox Sparrowhawk Jay Badger This frog walked throu

There has been a rapid change of scenery at the wood with the hawthorn and gorse giving way to blossom from broom, rowan and whitebeam and the foxgloves have sprung up and are giving a splash of colour everywhere.              Broom                                      First foxgloves                     Silver birch in full leaf.                    Whitebeam in flower - briefly Dragonfly                      Unknown to me! Rowan in blossom                                            Gerrymander speedwort (blue)                                                           and stitchwort (white) Dog roses in the sunshine I have been spending a lot of time up at the wood especially in the cool, light evenings. I was rewarded by coming close to this young badger finding a way under the fence.  The  bracken is now over waist high and the beck is struggling to flow. We haven’t had rain for over 20 days now. Some of the trees planted in April are struggling and the forecast remains clear skie