A favorite walk

Near where we live, there is a wonderful valley, which is rich with wildlife and just a little bit scenic too.  The Bybrook river runs through it, where dippers and kingfishers are regularly seen.   Native crayfish can still be found in their rocky hideaways, and I understand that lampreys are also present.  Water crow-foot is quite common and there is a healthy insect population, including mayflies (but also horseflies!).

 Summer

The valley sides are a mixture of broadleaved woodland and rich unimproved limestone grassland or less interesting grassland, whilst the flat bottoms also have areas of meadow flowers in some places, where the cattle have not reached.

Last sunny Sunday we paid a visit - here are some of the pictures.

The damselflies were fighting for territory, displaying to the females and for some lucky individuals also mating...

 

 

Banded damoiselles - darker females and blue males

Water crowfoot

 

 White clawed crayfish

 Small skipper

 Pyramidal orchid

This orchid is a sure sign that mid summer is upon us; its only grows on alkaline soils such as those on chalk or limestone

The aptly named fragrant orchid is a little stunner

 Dyer's green weed

This plant was once used as source of yellow dye for the cloth industry - an uncommon flower nowadays

 A male common blue butterfly - the adult only lives for three weeks

 A boletus fungus - there were quite of few of the ascomycetes growing in the grassland

Meadow crane's-bill - amid summer speciality of uncut meadows and waysides

 Rolling hillsides

A canine intruder disturbing the wildlife

  Sunshine through the grasses, plantains, hogweed and goats beard

Lush field edge