There has been a noticeable difference in the meadow in early summer this year. Following the glorious display of Cowslips we have had two further distinct flushes of yellow.

Meadow buttercup Spread sepals The first came at the end of May and beginning of June from Meadow Buttercup, a flower we have had in the meadow before but only in very small numbers. This year it has been abundant over the whole area. It can be distinguished from Bulbous Buttercup, which has similar appearance and foliage, by looking at the underside of the flower. Meadow Buttercup sepals, the petal-like structures which enclose the flower while it is in bud, remain spread out under the flower head when it opens. Bulbous Buttercup sepals turn down against the flower stem. Creeping Buttercup also has similar flowers and spread sepals, but distinctly different foliage, and we have not found Bulbous or Creeping Buttercup in our meadow.

The second yellow flush comes from Bird’s Foot Trefoil, which grows strongly in the meadow every year. This year there seems to be even more than usual and it is bringing with it a rush of insects that like to feed upon plants of the pea family. There are bumblebees everywhere and also a large number of Common Blue butterflies, for which Bird’s Foot Trefoil is the main food plant.

Common Blue Burnet Caterpillar The beautiful Burnet Moth caterpillar shown here was found on a stem of the same species, which is also a favourite food plant for the Burnet larvae. Later in the summer Burnet moths are found all over the meadow, easily spotted by the flash of red from their wings as they fly around. The abundance of buttercups and trefoil has probably come about as a result of a dry, cold winter followed by a late, wet spring. Varied weather combinations favour the germination of different species, so that some will do better than others. This year, for instance, we seem to have less Ox-eye Daisy, growing in more isolated patches than last year.

Hoary plantain Bumble bee on hoary plantain There is a lot of Hoary Plantain in flower this month, its delicate pink flower spikes almost fooling us into thinking that they were orchids when we first saw them from a distance! The flowers attract quite a lot of attention from insects. The bumblebee shown here rested for several minutes on the flower and almost seemed to have gone to sleep. It is seen here having a stretch before moving on, following the unwelcome attention of a camera lens close to its face.

Yellow Flag Iris Field poppy colour sport There is a burst of activity in the now dry pond near the seating area. The Yellow Flag Iris is flowering and around it there are now many species commonly found in disturbed ground, all competing for the available space. We have seen some of them before, especially in the strips that were ploughed early in 2005 – they include Charlock, Fumitory, Scarlet Pimpernel, Field Pansy and Sun Spurge. There are lots of Field Poppies, mostly the familiar bright red colour, but we also have some with pale pink flowers in the old pond. This colour variance is known as a “colour sport” and may result from cross-pollination from cultivated garden poppies. We saw a similar instance last month in the one orange Cowslip in front of the hides.

Shepherd's purse Persian Speedwell Opium poppy Also in the dry pond are some new species for our list. There is Shepherd’s Purse, Common Field Speedwell (also known as Persian Speedwell), and Opium Poppy. We hope that we will find still more new species growing in the pond area in the coming months.

Now we move on to the “Little Things” of this month’s title. This is a selection of small things that are generally overlooked unless you get down and forage about, as we do!

Goose Grass Stinging nettle Yarrow bud White deadnettle There are very tiny flowers on Goose Grass, which is also called Cleavers because it sticks to everything, including your skin, when you try to weed it from your garden. You can see the little hooks on the leaves and stem in the photograph. Stinging Nettle flowers are also tiny and insignificant and we are usually too busy trying to avoid being stung to notice that the flowers are even there. When you begin to look closely at flowers and leaves you find out how many of them are actually very furry or hairy. Yarrow and Field Poppy buds are good examples of this and so are the flowers of White Deadnettle.

Insect galls Cuckoo Spit There are many signs of insect life in the meadow that are also overlooked. In the hedgerow there are minute pink galls clustered on the leaves of a shrub. These may be Spangle Galls but we have not yet identified them accurately – we will look at galls in more detail in a later page.

Insect cocoon There is a tiny insect cocoon attached to a grass stem, inside which the greenish shape of the larva can just be seen, while on a stem of Lady’s Bedstraw buds there is a frothy white dab of cuckoo spit. This substance got its name because it appears on plants at around the time of year when the first cuckoos are heard. It is produced by the immature nymphs of insects called Froghoppers. The nymph feeds on plant sap and excretes undigested sap from its rear end, introducing bubbles of air from a special valve in its abdomen. This creates the froth, which disguises the nymph from predators and also prevents its skin from drying out.

And finally – in the middle of all the foliage in the dry pond, a red Field Poppy emerging from its bud produced this rather engaging little face wearing a furry brown hat, giving us one more unexpected “little thing” in the meadow!

Featured Flower – Bird’s Foot Trefoil (Lotus Corniculatus)

A native perennial of the pea family, common in grassland, roadside verges, seashores and other dry places. It grows to a height of 30-50cm and flowers from May to September. The buds are often deep red, opening to bright yellow flowers, sometimes tinged with orange or red. The common English name refers to the shape of the clusters of elongated seed pods, which look like a bird’s foot. The generic Lotus comes from the Greek word lotos, a name given to a wide variety of plants, but its actual meaning is not known. The specific name corniculatus means “bearing small horns” and probably refers to the shape of the seed pods.

There have apparently been over 70 local names for the plant, including Bacon and Eggs, Butter and Eggs, Hen and Chickens, Cocks and Hens, Tom Thumb, Fingers and Thumbs, Granny’s Toenails, Lady’s Fingers, Crow’s Toes (USA), Lady’s Slipper, Cuckoo’s Stocking and Dutchman’s Clogs. The names making reference to shoes or slippers are derived from the shape of the flowers, while those concerning fingers or toes refer to the seed pods.

In the folklore of the Middle Ages the plant was considered magical, connected to Titania, Queen of the Fairies, and was woven into wreaths with other magical plants to be worn as a protection against evil spirits. The name Lady’s Slipper comes from references in folklore to the Virgin Mary using the flowers as footwear.

The 19th century herbalist Culpepper says that the plant has drying and binding properties and is good for use in “wound drinks” or applied externally to wounds. He also recommends it for the treatment of kidney stones or ruptures, taken as a decoction.

The plant contains small quantities of prussic acid, which acts as a deterrent against being eaten in large quantities. In small doses it is thought to have beneficial qualities and it is said that small quantities mixed with other fodder plants for cows produces milk of improved quality.

A modern use for Bird’s Foot Trefoil is in the planting of roadside verges, where it helps to keep down taller weeds and grasses by forming a low, solid mat, very hardy and permanent.