Early spring around the village

Still in lockdown, I walked a few miles south of the village to a couple of meadows.  Although still quite early, I counted 20 flowering plants, with violets and primroses adding characteristic colour to otherwise bare hedgerows and grasslands.  

...   

           Hairy violet (Viola hirta)                               Primroses (Primula vulgaris)

...

                  Sweet violet (Viola odorata)

The plant thug, Dog's mercury was also just beginning to flower. Why a thug?  Well it creates a dense carpet which smothers other plants.  

In one of the meadows I found the rosette of a bee orchid;  there are usually a few but this was in a new location in the meadow.

Surprisingly I did not see any deer - there are usually a few around - but I did find some old otter spraint on a branch overhanging the River Swere.