Far From the Madding Crowd: June 2014

Thursday 19 June 2014

A Royal Visit This Morning :-)

I opened my curtains this morning and look what I had in my garden, a Royal Visit from Mr & Mrs Pheasant. This pair are often in my garden, the male constantly makes cute little noise at the female as HE follows her wherever she goes. I like the way they walk around, very cautiously, as if they are royalty :-)

Monday 16 June 2014

The Not-so-Pretty Orchid

The not-so-pretty orchid is the Common Twayblade orchid. This was taken at Fontmell Down, there was plenty of Common Spotted orchid in the area also.

Saturday 14 June 2014

The Lesser Butterfly Orchid

I have found eight species of orchids so far this year at Durlston Country Park and Fontmell Down; Lesser Butterfly orchid (as below), Early Purple orchid, Early Spider orchid, Bee orchid, Common Twayblade orchid, Green Winged orchid, Common Spotted orchid, Pyramidal orchid. We went for a walk at Fontmell Down on Thursday, wonderful wide variety of wildflowers throughout the walk where I found this orchid, the Lesser Butterfly.

My Blog

I have taken the title of my blog from Thomas Hardy's fourth novel 'Far From the Madding Crowd' which he wrote in 1874. He took his title from Thomas Gray's poem 'Elegy written in a Country Churchyard' completed in 1750. Thomas Hardy was born in Dorset where he lived for most of his life and where he based the stories in his novels. The word 'madding' means frenzied and there is a sense of freedom I get being out in the countryside and being close to nature away from the frenzied atmosphere of the towns and cities. I live in Dorset and like Thomas Hardy, it is where I have lived for most of my life, my blog is mostly about nature in Dorset. I am a member of the Dorset Wildlife Trust. I will include my garden and anything of interest about the natural world in Britain.