puddleshark

A cold wind yesterday, more like March than June. But in sheltered places, it was maybe 16 or 17 degrees C. One of those cool early summer days when the sun is pleasant, rather than hot.

In the woods, the green June woods, the bluebells have gone over, and the bracken is rising, silently.

In the summer woods
The bracken stretches out its arms
And yawns.

From the woods, I took the path by the marshes. The footing unusually dry for this time of year - no scrambling over boggy spots. Out in the marshes, too far away to photograph, bright pink spikes of Southern Marsh Orchid.

Came back across the heath, a narrow path, half vanished in places, through the the heather and the spiky gorse. Hoped for a glimpse of Silver Studded Blue butterflies, but it's still a few weeks too early for them to be on the wing - the Cross-leaved Heath is only just starting to flower.

Tiny indigo-blue flowers of Heath Milkwort.

Heath Spotted Orchid. The spikes are blunter than those of the Common Spotted Orchid.

Nearing the Tea Brown Lake, the rattle of dragonfly wings above the gorse, and a flicker of blue, half-seen, in among the grasses.

Azure Damselfly (narrow blue antehumeral stripe, and a U-shaped marking on S2).

Common Blue Damselfly (wide blue antehumeral stripe and a black circle with stalk on S2).

Sat for a while beside the Tea Brown Lake, watching (and failing to photograph) the Downy Emerald dragonflies patrolling.