Kitchen Field...

Kitchen Field from the top of Brockles...

Kitchen Field...

Kitchen Field...

Poppies and Chamomile...

The poppies are finally giving way to Chamomile, which at the moment is giving a wonderful red and white contrast. There are several species of Chamomile and Mayweed, but the prevalent one here is called Stinking Chamomile. When the flowers are crushed they have an unpleasant odour and are currently giving Kitchen Field a smell rather like dogshit, which of course is perfectly normal for Ranscombe these days, unfortunately...

Marbled White...

Vipers Bugloss...

Ranscombe...

A short stroll up to Brockles...

View from Terry Sutton's memorial bench at Brockles

Towards Upper Bush...

Poppies at Kitchen Field...

Small Tortoiseshell...

Meadow Clary...

Twenty Acres...

Looking south from the eastern edge of Twenty Acres...

Luddesdown vineyard...

 ...although "vineyard" seems a bit of a misnomer for fields full of ugly steel wire, weeds and patches of dead, chalky soil. Still, it's early days I suppose...

View from Wrenches Shaw towards Luddesdown church...

View from Wrenches Shaw towards Cobham...

Court Lodge and Luddesdown Church from Wrenches Shaw...

Common Spotted Orchid...

There is a now-neglected farm track leading up from the bottom of Bavins, where a large number of Common Spotted orchids have popped up.  I counted over 50 in about 100 yards.

Track down Bavins Bank

Wildflower bonanza...!

Plantlife seems to have pushed the boat out this year on the wildflower front.  Longhoes and Kitchen Field are looking spectacular...

Vipers Bugloss, Longhoes...

Buttercups and Bugloss...

Vipers Bugloss, Longhoes...

Poppies, Cobham Field...

Small Tortoiseshell...

Small Tortoiseshell...

Female Silver-Washed Frittilary...

Speckled Wood...

Poppies and cattle, Twenty Acres...

Bee Orchid...

Bee Orchid...

Poppystorm, Kitchen Field...

With Covid lockdown in full swing, people seem to have come from miles around to see our wildflowers. Unfortunately, there seems to be a contingent of ignorant, selfish chavs among the visitors. I witnessed a young women and her friend, armed with two enormous St. Bernards that were off the lead and trampling the poppies flat while the owners took pictures of them. When I suggested that they leave a few poppies for others to see, I was angrily told to "mine my own faackin' business, we can do wot we faaacking' like, see..."

In my experience of Ranscombe these days, it's the 80% of dog owners that give the other 20% a bad name, unfortunately. Ho hum... 

Poppies, Kitchen Field...

Poppies, Kitchen Field...

Southern Field...

Moonrise over Wouldham Common...

 

...as seen from North Halling...