Thea wildness is coming back to La Chaise! As the Clun Forest sheep gradually leave us, so the wild plants sneak back and probably small wild life also. There are small strange holes in the meadows. Butterflies abound but stay safely near the rampaging juniper bushes, now a dense hedge.
Off the top of my head I cannot identify this orchid – but it is trying to get through the fence!*
Doubtless other orchids are also exploring the space, especially in places where the sheep no longer tread. Among the early ones will be the ‘early purple’ obviously. It was almost abundant under what is probably La Chaise’ only ash tree, so prolific that at first I thought it was pink clover. But then the sheep decided that the shade of an ash was good for their health.. and plonked themselves down to burp. A few hardy plants still show their heads.
This could be a scented orchid – but I could not get my head into the juniper to find out.
But recently, now the young junipers rampage alongside the fence of the former horse fields (where they are unlikely to get mowed or eaten) the odd orchid is poking its head through the spiky branches..
An Early Purple perhaps?
Thyme creeping across the grass
Audrey, who studied them with camera over many weeks, insists they are couple which has made a nest. She expects the eggs to hatch very soon.
Recently they seem to do daily flights between the Black Pond and the Pump Lake at the bottom of the valley. Both lakes are fully of noisy frog life, perhaps even midwife toads. And where there are frogs – there you will find the great grey heron on its stilt like legs. Yes, I did.
Will I miss the sheep? yes –
* possibly an epipactis of some sort