Marsh Marigold

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 When each new flower produces its first bloom of the season its a bit like welcoming back old friends. A new arrival yesterday was the marsh marigold or "king cup". This is a member of the buttercup family associated with wet and boggy places and we have a few clumps in our bog meadow. This one popped up in an area where I hadn't noticed them before in a corner of our bog meadow.


This plant used to be common in wet meadows but due to farming practices it is now often confined to drainage ditches. The plant doesn't "like" fertilisers either. Seeds are ejected by a raindrop hitting the flower and are then. transported by water so the flower tends to spread along a watercourse.

Diary
Much warmer, In the low teens Centigrade during the day and only about 6 C overnight. There is a noticeable dawn chorus these days. 60+ pink footed geese flying North this morning. One camera trap last night was "baited " with a dead rabbit in the hope I might see foxes but I got 80 video clips of carrion crows instead! Another camera trap caught a stoat carrying prey ( a small rodent I think, possibly a wood mouse as there were some in that area - decide for yourself!)


There are reports in the local bird group of the first of the summer migrants arriving. Somebody in West Cumbria is reporting chiff chaffs.  No sign of any here but I am keeping a look out.
Still no frog spawn!



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