Thursday 3rd September

In the garden butterflies have at last been visiting some numbers, mainly peacocks, all of which continue to be fine fellows of good size, but also red admirals plus the odd small white and small tortoiseshell.

I have been out a couple of times on the bike without noticing much, beyond that the coutryside has been looking great and the weather is a bit brighter.

Purple-leaved Elder

Yesterday I did spot this rather interesting bush some way past Terregles Village on the edge of some estate land.  At first mystified, I could see that it had some of the characteristics of an elder but with strikingly dark leaves - somewhat darker actually than shows up in the photograph. It is mentioned in the index of the Book of Trees although with no further text detail, but a little internet research suggests that it is in fact a purple-leaved elder.

Meanwhile the swallows are starting their autumn habit of perching on telegraph wires in some numbers.  I fancifully like to imagine that they are having a chat about when to return to Africa this year. Swifts incidentally haven't been heard or seen around the estate for a few weeks.

Stopped again at the place near Bogle Bridge where people must put bird food out.  Lots of tits were soon lingering with intent a few minutes after I sat on the moss-covered wall but of course, I didn't have anything for them.