Meadow Developments

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 We have been away for a few days during the hottest weekend of the year so far (27C). There has been a change in the meadow as lots of the ox eye (or dog) daisies have come into flower.




These plants "like" a limestone or chalk substrate and also like damp ground so they do very well here.  The plants are unpalatable to cattle and can cause a sort of contact dermatitis with some people.
The other big change is that there are hundreds of chimney sweeper moths. These moths don't get very high above the vegetation and appear in huge numbers here on sunny days. The food plant is pignut which grows in abundance here.

Diary
Great to see that the spotted flycatcher  chicks have hatched out. This not very good photo taken with my phone is the best I can do without disturbing the parent but it shows they are there.

A photograph I was pleased with however is this one of the European flesh fly (sarcophaga) mating.

The warmer weather hasn't really lasted. Overcast and much cooler today.







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