Churches
The
Seven
Little Barningham, Blickling, Edgefield, Itteringham, Oulton, Wickmere, Saxthorpe & Corpusty, Norfolk, England
The growing crops now give good cover for the Hares, which are beginning to give birth in small dug out depressions called “forms,” so called because they take the form or shape of the animal. It is just possible to see the tips of their ears above the Wheat and Barley, or you may see them in the trackways left in the fields by the tyres of farm machinery. We have seen Fox cubs out of their den playing and learning essential skills that will prepare them for when they leave their mothers in the autumn, and in the next month the Roe, Fallow and Red Deer will give birth, though you will be lucky to see the young, as they stay well concealed in the undergrowth. There seems to have been a proliferation of Orange Tip Butterflies in the past few weeks making the most of the warm weather- it is only the male of this small white butterfly that bears the orange tips to its wings, the female having black tips.
The verges continue to throw out colour, blue now being a recurring theme with the presence of Forget-Me-Nots, Ground Ivy, Speedwell and Vetch.The Hawthorn and Dog Rose are flowering in the hedgerows and statuesque Horse - Chestnut trees are looking magnificent clad in their white blooms. Bluebells also have been giving a glorious display, creating a sea of blue in the area’s woodlands.
From an anonymous contributer - any comments via editor.
NATURE NOTES
The fact that we are nearly halfway through the year may fill us with horror, but for wildlife this fact creates a necessary urgency. All around us the flora and fauna is hurriedly getting on with the processes of reproduction and growth to ensure the success of the next generation. Many young birds have already fledged or are on the verge of doing so. The Wren chicks left my shed, occupying nearby branches in the hedge whilst still demanding food from their parents. I came across 3 bundles of fluff - Tawny Owl chicks - sitting on a fence waiting for food, and all around, noisy young Rooks sit beating their wings as mum and dad give them a last meal before leaving them to fend for themselves.