Mid Summer on the Local Patch

From Old Norwich Road a rather innocuous footpath sign points down a small track that leads away from Ipswich, out to the countryside. This marks the beginning of the Local Patch, my go to place for connection to nature and from here footpaths tread their way through arable lands, meadows and along hedgerows. This is the British Countryside, open to and cherished by everyone.

WOOD PIGEON

Being outdoors, the weather is an important factor and this summer it has been a mixed bag. After the driest and warmest May on record, June was tempestuous, mainly overcast, with some heavy monsoon rain, yet at other times was blisteringly hot. It changed from day to day and was completely unpredictable when walking out under heavy threatening black clouds, never knowing if it will rain.
This unpredictability has had a harsh effect on the land, this means the stream, the little ditch running through part of the Patch, was one day running full of water, the other dried out. The Pond eventually dried out completely leaving behind a patch of dried mud. However vegetation has as a whole survived quite well, given shelter by the clouds from the heavy sun.

BLACKCAP, the female lacks the titular coloured head, instead sporting a nice russet bonce.

In the hedgerows and in the fields, birds are raising families, and the end of May is when they all start leaving the nest. LONG TAILED TITS are usually the first to appear, but the TITS in general come out early, and are the most noisy and noticeable of birds as they form post breeding flocks in large numbers, passing quickly through areas of wood or scrub, with a whole load of twittering.

YELLOWHAMMER

As the birds are all raising families there is no need for the males to sing, when instead they are busy feeding young. The Patch was generally quiet, the odd SKYLARK ascending into the air or a YELLOWHAMMER singing its distinctive song from a thick hedgerow. The song of these birds really lifts my soul as they carry in the countryside quiet, not drowned out by human interference like vehicles or chatter.
Over the reservoir SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS catch food, nesting in the nearby hall buildings, where there are some abandoned farm buildings.

MALLOWS grow in profusion on the roadside verges, Old Norwich Road

From a birders perspective, the only species of note was a HOBBY, on 22/6, a bird which was seen dive bombing the local BUZZARD before drifting off. The BUZZARD quarters the Suffolk Punch Field the same as it does throughout the year, it never seems to leave, its one of the few residents on the Patch.
A LITTLE OWL was in the usual place, on a old tree stump in the horse paddock along Old Norwich Road, which with hope, means they are recolonising the area, a species much missed.

Farmer mowing River Meadow

Perhaps the most interesting of records were of mammals. On 20/6 a large buck ROE DEER was present, showing off his large antlers. It was browsing a hedge in a field only observable from Old Norwich Road, but nearby family parties and dogs walked past unaware of his presence. On 26/6 a STOAT was seen running down the track that leads to the abandoned farm buildings. Like the deer, I see this animal occasionally on the Patch, but not often enough. Stoats are mammals of the present countryside, learning to live alongside man without being noticed.

Recently fledged LONG TAILED TIT, they have no fear of me so I could get quiet close

Out on the Patch the meadows have all been cut. In the Reservoir Meadow the cut grass was alive with tiny FROGS, there must have been thousands of them. The Reservoir holds small numbers of blue DAMSELFLIES and DRAGONFLIES whizzing around the small body of water.
Around these meadows large numbers of MEADOW BROWN butterflies flutter around the brown grass and there are plenty of more butterflies, that I don't really which species they are. Next year I think I will learn to identify butterflies.

POPPIES growing on a roadside verge

What farming landscape would be complete without a burst of flowering POPPIES. This year hasn't been great for them, they are growing only on road side verges at the moment or singally in arable fields, little dots of red amongst the uniform green crops.

Flowers, in general, aren't doing too well on the Patch, less so than birds. Most of the flowers are mainly clinging on to the edge of arable fields, or in some area of uncut wasteland. The countryside may look green, but it should be more a mix of many colours.

PYRAMID ORCHID, First Field

The one exception to this is the First Field. This former arable land has been left fallow for a couple of years now. Amongst the long brown grass, little spikes of purple PYRAMID ORCHIDS are flowering. Amazingly, this colony of beautiful flowers has flourished and there are over 200 plants present. They are just away from the path to not be noticed, and as long as no one notices them, they should be safe, I mean if the farmer knew of them they would probably get sprayed. 

The field in general is alive with flowers, many of which would be considered "weeds". There are purple THISTLES and yellow HAWKWEED growing in profusion across the sea of brown grass. This is a pleasing sign, one that lifts the soul and is something that will only benefit the area. 

Looking to Suffolk Punch Field, across River Meadow

Summer is beautiful wherever you may be. In nature nowhere is unremarkable, everywhere unique. Even a concreted car park can still hold wildlife, if not much. The countryside is there, it will continue to be so, so go out there connect with it and make sure its being looked after properly. And above all make sure you Enjoy Nature.