This last month we had the warmest June since 1976, despite the unsettled weather. July has started off with some very wet and stormy weather, which has caused tree damage and blown some crops over. Hopefully, with some good warm days the crops will recover. Many fields of barley and wheat are already turning yellow but not golden just yet. The rest of the countryside is very green but there are numerous insects and flowers to be seen also. Luckily some sheltered areas have not been wind-damaged and there is still a mass of colour. There are fields of poppies and meadows filled with white meadowsweet. Also our heaths are changing to a purple hue with the Bell Heath and Cross-leaved Heath already fully out and the Ling heather in its early stages. Many hedgerows have been cut back along road verges for visibility but sadly many hedgerows have been cut back where they could have been left for berries to be a source of food for later in the year. Also by cutting back, it opens the hedge up and endangers late nesting birds and makes them vulnerable to predation from magpies and the like.

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea)

Up on the Downs there are numerous flowers out and still many orchids like the Pyramidal and the Common Spotted but one to keep an eye out for is the Marsh Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea ssp.densiflora).

This purple coloured orchid can be found in marshy areas in other parts of the country but here in Sussex it can be found growing on the dry chalk slopes in a few places. One of the colourful flowers to look out for this month on the Downs is the yellow Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria). This plant is the food source for the Small Blue butterfly. The flowers give off a rich fragrance that attracts many insects but only the most powerful insects can force the stiff petals back to extract the nectar like the bumblebee.

Marsh Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea ssp.densiflora)

This plant has many names like "Fingers and thumbs", "Lambs foot", "Lady's finger" and "Butter-fingers". These names derive from the white fluffy appearing small leaf-like bracts that can be seen at the base of the flowers. In the past this plant was used for healing wounds and according to the "Doctrine of Signatures" because the flower resembled the shape of a kidney it was the plant chosen by God to heal the kidneys.

Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)

Another yellow flower to be seen is the Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor). This plant derives its name from the seed capsule rattling with its seeds in it sounding very similar to a baby's rattle. In the past the sound of rattling in a hay field was a sign when the hay was ripe enough to cut. This would still be the case today but over the years this plant has been persecuted because it is semi-parasitic on grasses and so has been sprayed out to make way for more grasses to grow.

Bog Pimpernel (Anagallis tenella)

Luckily for this plant there are conservation grants helping to bring it back into our meadows. It has been realised that although it is semi-parasitic on grasses it can make gaps in fields allowing more light in and by doing so, allow other species of flower to thrive, which would otherwise be swamped out by dominant species of grass. The flowers are yellow and are shaped a little like a classic witch's nose as described in a Fairy tale and the Latin name "Rhinanthus" derives from two Greek words meaning "nose" and "flower"

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea)

A pretty pink flower to look out for on wet meadows or wet heath is the Bog Pimpernel (Anagallis tenella). The generic name "Anagallis" derives from the Greek word that means "delightful". Sadly this plant is in the decline due to areas being drained and so drying up the suitable conditions this plant needs to thrive on.

All the flowers are benefiting the frequent visits from pollinating insects like Bumble bees. The name Bumble bee (bombidae) originated in the sixteenth century and derives from a Middle English word meaning "to Boom". There are a number of species of Bumble bee in the country, however they have declined in number due to the decline in meadows and pastures since 1945.

Bumble bee (bombidae)

A butterfly to look out for this month on the Downs and also any area where there is a large area of grassland is the Marbled White (Melanargia galathea). As a caterpillar it feeds on a number of species of grass. This graceful butterfly has a mixture of mottled white and black markings.

I will talk to you again soon in August.