We returned to Herefordshire last week for 4 nights and this time D came too :) We arrived on the Wednesday and stayed until the Sunday. I'd had to go to the GP's before we left as yet again cellulitis has raised its ugly head. Although the locum I saw seemed to think it may be another condition which sounds even worse than cellulitis! The weather was lovely if a trifle too hot at times!!! We had a good journey and spent the rest of the day relaxing at the site.
There has been little change in the Herefordshire Oak, Octopus and Constable Trees since the last visit.
On the last morning (Saturday) we were lucky to see a Painted Lady nectaring on the perennial wallflower in the border. It stayed around for about half an hour. I know there has been an influx of this species into the country but this is the first I have seen this year.
D re-potted a dahlia and geranium I had bought and also sowed nasturtium and calendula seeds in pots.
Spiderlings on the car door!
The family are all huge Aston Villa supporters. I have supported them since my father took me to my first match at Villa Park when I was around 11. Sadly, we don't go to matches these days but the Europa League Final was on tv Wednesday night so we watched the game. We were thrilled when Villa won the match 3-0 and thus the Cup.
Zebra spider on one of the caravan windows.
I used the bat detector most nights and we also had quite close views of the bats foraging right by the caravan. We put out hedgehog food and saw the hedgehog one night. Record shot by D.
We continued with our quest to see 100 plants this year and managed to add several species to the list.
Not sure what this thistly type plant in the lawn is though!
If you enlarge the photo you may be able to make out tiny yellow flowers below the daisies. This plant is Lesser Trefoil.
Clover
We also added Mistletoe (no photo as it is now mainly out of sight due to leaves on the trees) and Greater Stitchwort.
One evening D and B went a walk around the pool and lower field. I didn't go as I had been walking round Leominster with D that day and my ankles and feet had swollen up again! So these are D's photos from the walk. The mannequin dressed in red by the pool is quite frankly scary and I can only assume it has been put there to frighten away Canada Geese.
D also walked to the Hen House at the end of the drive to buy some eggs.
Cow Parsley
Nuthatch on the feeders and a Swallow.
On the Thursday we went to Tesco in Tenbury Wells to do a food shop. The verges of the lanes are full of Cow Parsley and Buttercups. Hawthorn is past its best now but Elderflower is starting to flower - another new species for the Wild Plant Challenge.
On the Friday D and I went to Stocktonbury Gardens which I will write about in the next post.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and those marked *D taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks)
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