Today, I decided that I’d take a trip to Shatterford Bottom (SU 346 063) to see if I could locate any spikes of the Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus illyricus) before the bracken got too high to see anything.

I returned to an area where I remembered seeing this beautiful plant some 15 years ago & managed to find 2 spikes, which I marked using my GPS. There is not yet any colour on the spikes & doubtless they will be easier to see in a couple of weeks time when the magenta colur is more evident, but I was pleased nonetheless.

I walked to the edge of Denny Wood, then turned south, crossing Bishops Dyke once before walking along the base of it again a bit further south.

After crossing a deep stream which Woody decided to completely submerge himself in, albeit unintentionally, I was rewarded with a view of a pair of Cuckoos & a Redstart.

On turning north & following the track next to the Bournemouth mainline, I got excellent views of a Hobby (Falco subbuteo) which was hunting dragonflies over the boggy ground & feeding itself on the wing. Watching this was worth the trip alone.