We had a dry bright start to the month of May, and it was to prove to be a very dry month throughout, on the 1st May the river level was sitting at just under two feet on the gauge up at our Cargill rod beat and the level was to continue to slowly drop away as the month progressed. The harbour has been quiet lately but it was good to see the odd coaster still heading up river to ply its trade, always nice to see these big boats close up as they pass by.
Up at the fishery the resident swans have finally got their young cygnets all hatched out, there are only three this year!
There is another pair out on the river going about with five cygnets. The bird boxes about the place are all busy; and there are plenty fledgelings about now, the goosanders are still busy at the smolts
and the herons are always busy on the riverside.
Most of our work this month has been spent on the grass cutting again and some of the hedges have had their first cut of the season. We have been seeing a lot more wildlife when we have been out and about this month, with the fox,
the deer
and the hedgehog
all putting in appearances, some quite close up. As the season moves on so does the variety of flowers and colour along the river banks; the Orchids were a bit later appearing this year but they are showing up well now,
the wild Lupins are starting to come through
and the Campion is abundant in its usual areas.
It was temperatures in the low twenties and the river at summer level down under six inches on the gauge as the month drew to a close.
Dago