We parked by Temple Balsall Cemetery which
has fox and cubs flowering and I
spotted Stonecrop.
The Wildflower Meadow is on the other side of the lane at Temple Fields which is a Natural Burial Ground. The site covers many acres and at the moment it is a wonderful and tranquil site just full of wild flowers as far as you can see.
Wildflowers included Poppies, Ox-eye Daisies, Yarrow, Knapweed, Bird's Foot Trefoil, Viper's Bugloss, Wild Carrot, Foxgloves, Mallow, Corn Marigold, Cornflowers and Clover. Paths are cut through the meadow and the whole place was full of insects - butterflies (Skippers, Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper were seen), hoverflies, beetles and so many bees.
Small or Essex Skipper - I have huge problems separating the species!
A butterfly bank has been created near the entrance.
Many thanks to Temple Balsall NR for tweeting photos and kindly letting me know where the wild flower meadow is.
*D Photos taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera.
15 comments:
This is obviously a wonderful area to visit with a good deal of interest and enrichment for a keen naturalist. My wife and I have both chosen this form of burial and have purchased our plot in what is known as the Green Burial section of one of our local cemeteries. The end of our lives will be commensurate with the way we have lived our lives, and nothing could be more fitting than that. The fact that fellow naturalists will be able to look at wildflowers, examine insects, listen to bird song, have an early morning encounter with a coyote, share the path with a friendly skunk - now there's a legacy to be happy with.
What a joy to behold! The air must be buzzing {literally and metaphorically} with many happy pollinators of all kinds. With the sun shining too, it must have been almost overwhelming to the senses.
David M Gascoigne - Thank you and I agree the end of lives should reflect your way of life. Temple Fields was a beautiful and tranquil place and the flowers and insects a joy - it would be the perfect place to be laid to rest.
Rustic Pumpkin - Thank you - the whole place was overwhelming and a joy to behold - just acres and acres of wild flowers and so many pollinators :)
Thanks for sharing so many photos from such a magical place. I've never heard hawkweed, we have a patch growing in our garden, called fox and cubs before. We could do with a lot more wildflower meadows like this growing around here - we have plenty birds and bees but I've only spotted one butterfly recently and that despite having a garden well stocked with butterfly attracting plants.
What a wonderful place, so glad you went to visit. Have enjoyed looking through your photos, I love how they have put up a information board. The butterflies and insects, not sure how far it is from you but a great place to do the butterfly count.
Amanda xx
Thank you, THANK YOU. This is an absolute delight. I can enjoy the flowers without worrying about the grass pollen too!
When I see meadows of wild flowers like this I always think, "what we have lost" . . . imagine what England was like in Shakespeare's time.
One summer Leeks didn't cut the grass around their parking area, as there was a wild flower survey being carried a=out and would you believe they APOLOGISED for it being "overgrown and untidy"!!! I asked if they had a system for leaving comments and said my piece!
Elizabeth - Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I would like some fox and cubs in our garden - I could kick myself now as yesterday I was in a churchyard full of it and it was only when I was half way home I thought I should have brought home some seed! Garden butterflies here are very few and far between this year too and we have a lot of butterfly plants. Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and a few Whites are all that I am seeing at the moment.
Amanda Peters - Thank you. I couldn't believe how big the area was! You are right about Butterfly Count - it is about 30 minutes from here if the M42 is clear so will try and go back. I wasn't far away yesterday but just didn't have the time.
Bovey Belle - Thank you so much and I am so glad you enjoyed the photos. I too think about what we have lost - 97% of them :( It really is shocking.
Well done for telling Leeks what you thought. It is so sad that some people equate grass not cut and wild flowers as untidiness :( A month or so back the grass verges hadn't been cut round here and were full of flowers and unbelievably my neighbour told my husband that she had been onto the Council moaning that they hadn't been cut!!! Now they are all neat and manicured :(
What a beautiful place it must have felt very special to be there amongst so many different wildflowers. We have hawkweed both yellow and brown growing on our front lawn just along the edge near the pavings of the drive. I've only recently seen them referred to as fox and cubs this seems fitting as our garden is visited every night by the fox and her cubs:)
What a gorgeous place, it's always lovely to see the grass left to it's own devices!
Rosie - Thank you. I will try and go again soon as Amanda suggested it would be a good place to do Big Butterfly Count. Will go into cemetery and try and get a few fox and cub seeds as I forgot yesterday when in another churchyard!! It is very apt with your fox and cub visits that you have some :)
I do hope you are feeling a little better now.
Pam - Thank you - the flowers and grasses were a delight but I think it was probably seeded??
Looks to be well planned for visitors with the mown path through the meadow and the detailed butterfly identification chart.
Midmarsh John - Thank you and yes it is well planned. There is a mown path all round the perimeter and then some mown paths across the middle. It is a lovely area - Temple Balsall church nearby is full of history and on the other side is a Warks Wildlife Trust nature reserve :)
Oh Caroline, I did enjoy this post. It is very heartening to see that there are natural areas still in existence.
Toffeeapple - Thanks so much so glad you enjoyed. There are a couple of other wild flower meadows in the area - Shadowbrook NR and one not open to the public by Notcutts GArden Centre Shirley. I used to go to open days at the latter but not sure if they still hold them.
How lovely there were so many butterflies displaying their beauty :-)
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