#30DaysWild is a fantastic idea from The Wildlife Trusts - to engage people of all ages in nature and in being out in the wild. I only heard about it indirectly, last night - and it started today! I liked the sound of something which makes me focus on wildlife and my experiences, so I signed up. You can too!
There was a call for bloggers to get involved too, so here I am - writing my first #30DaysWild blog. I will try and write a blog every day of June, relating something wild.
I suppose there is a danger this won't feel very different to my usual blogging, but I decided I will use the month to be mindful of what I am seeing and make sure I really take time to 'be'. The other thing I will do is make sure I learn more about what I am seeing. All too often I see something, recognise it but cannot remember its name - particularly flowers! So this month I will come home and look up those mysteries!
Thinking #30DaysWild this morning, when Farmer had to go and check the grazing in the field by the graveyard I went with him. For today's walk in the wild.
There had been a tiny patch of blue sky earlier but it was quickly obscured by the grey stormy clouds, and a rising wind. The bluebells seem to be more intense this year, perhaps because it has been so cold. These patches were a welcome bit of colour on this wet and grey morning.
There is not as much grass growth as usual in the fields, but this is not surprising given how cold May was.
It was a lovely surprise to see Common Twayblade coming up, some tiny ones and then these ones. They are often difficult to spot, until you get your eye in and then they can appear to be everywhere.
The only pheasants here on the farm are refugees from a few places where pheasants are 'put down' for shooting. This is a safe haven for them, as they won't be shot here. This pheasant egg has been stolen from a nest by the looks of things.
We walked back up to the house through the woodland. This is unfurled Marsh marigold, growing in perfect damp habitat!
This was my first 'oh I recognise this, what is it again?' and when we got back to the house I looked it up - in a very lazy way. I googled 'white woodland flower out now'. The first result was from the Natural History Museum. It is Woodruff.
As I write, it is really wild outside. The wind is forecast to get up to 60mph tonight. A lot of our trees will suffer, as they are now in leaf, and the salt blowing off the sea will burn them. We will see tomorrow...