Juniper haircap

A beautiful spring day, which I made the most of. In the morning Rosie and i went to Stanground Wash to do our regular photoshoot for the Wildlife Trust. I don't usually take Rosie with me, but her eyes were so pleading and I guessed that there wouldn't be any cattle on the site. Not many birds on the washes, but we did see or hear three water voles in the ditches, and found a very large population of water violet that 'll be flowering in a few weeks time.

The site contains an area of raised ground next to the railway, and this supports a type of acid grassland similar to that found in the Brecks of Norfolk and Suffolk, with abundant Cladonia lichens and extensive areas of juniper haircap moss. This was fruiting profusely, and I have to say I'd never realised that the sporophytes were so hairy. I had to lie down to take this view of them!

In the afternoon Pete and I went to a field meeting at Little Paxton Wood. I was responsible for notifying this as a Site of Special Scientific Interest over 25 years ago! The man who brought the wood to my attention was leading the event - it was the first time we'd seen each other since I'd left Natural England and as soon as he realised I was there he gave me the most wonderful hug - it made my day!