Blackthorne.

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Field boundaries hereabouts are marked either by dry stone walls or by hedges. The favoured stock proof hedge seem to be a combination of hawthorne and blackthorn.  One of the differences between blackthorn and hawthorne is that in blackthorn the blossom comes out before there are any leaves on the plant but with hawthorn the leaves come before the blossom. Just now the blackthorn is in glorious blossom whilst the hawthorns are just beginning to be in leaf.


The thorns on blackthorn are very large and the bush forms an impenetrable barrier to livestock. Blackthorn fruit develops over the summer and the purple berries are known as sloes and are often picked and steeped in spirits to produce sloe gin.



Diary.
Very productive camera traps lat night. As well as the usual rabbits I had heron, polecat, badger, and fox (twice). Glorious sunshine today and temperatures in the mid teens.

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