Meadow Update - Early Summer

The flowers on the meadow have looked really good over the last few weeks. With the lack of rain, the annuals have taken longer to seed than last year, but there is now plenty of colour. On the other hand, the perennials have really come on . The cowslips were replaced by a splendid display of oxeye daisies and now the purple vetch is coming through. We are having a meeting next week to review progress, with Ed Cross, our wildflower expert.

Less good news is that the drought, which has persisted since March, is drying out the roots of the newly planted trees. Our tree expert, Jules Drain, from Barcham Trees visited the meadow recently and is satisfied that we are doing all we can in the circimstances. We organise weekly watering parties using volunteers. We really could do with a source of water on the meadow, but that is not possible. The drought, exposed windy conditions and exposure to sea salt in the air means that our trees have a fight on their hands. So far, most of them are surviving, but a few good thunderstorms would help!

Also disappointing is that, after occupying the nest box in March, the kestrels have not bred. We have spoken to the Hawk & Owl Trust who tell us that it is a dreadful breeding season for both kestrels and owls. The drought means a lack of voles, which means no food for the young, so the birds don't bother to breed. The good news is that this often means the next breeding season is a bumper one, so we wait and see.