Our local wildflower meadow

Common Blue


Photographs and notes about our local meadow


Meadow Brown feeding on Scabious






Ladies Bedstraw

Great Green Bushcricket

6 Metre grass strip left close to new hedge

Our wildflower meadow has been full of interest this year. Plenty of butterflies, the great green bush cricket showing up but fewer Marbled Whites than in previous years and very few Bee Orchids, which I hear is the same elsewhere this year.

The hay has now been cut on 15^th August. It was baled and the bales removed by the 21^st and the gate locked.

As this cut was earlier than expected a 6 metre strip has been left nearest the new hedge, to provide a continuing habitat for the many butterflies present.Shown in the picture above.

This will also help the several species of grasshoppers and no doubt many other species.

An inspection of this strip on the 17^th August showed the value of this action. There were numerous Common Blue and Meadow Brown butterflies, probably hundreds, still present whereas on the adjoining field and the rest of our field there are few of either. Large White butterflies are also present. It is likely that there are others I didn’t spot in the 30 minutes or so spent there. A good indicator of a healthy meadow is said to be the presence of small (or micro) moths which are disturbed when you walk through the grass and they are numerous.

The large area of Ladies Bedstraw is still intact and will have more time to seed as will a few Scabious and orchids.

Included here are a few photos from July and August this year.