On the hottest day of the early May heatwave, I had a speaking engagement in Bourn, just west of Cambridge. And so I took the opportunity to visit a couple of the noted wildlife sites in the area…

Just over the border into Hertfordshire on the final slopes of the Chilterns is Therfield Heath. Renowned as one of the best UK sites for Pasqueflower, sadly I was a couple of weeks after the flowering peak, but it was still spectacular, the purple Pasques mingled with yellow Cowslips and blue Common Milkwort flowers, and harbouring several adult Cinnabar moths.

In the beechwood, the lime-green fresh leaves, newly emerged, already cast shade on the woodland floor, where many White Helleborines were just showing colour in the expanding flower buds (about two weeks too early for this one!).  But Sanicle was in full flower…

And then it was to Hayley Wood, made famous by Oliver Rackham, only the second time I have visited.

Actively coppiced, the ground flora is spectacular, with Greater Stitchwort, Yellow Archangel, Lesser Celandine, Bluebell and Bugle, together with Oxlips, again past their best, but always a delight and a real eco-geographic speciality of the claylands of the area of Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk.

Quite a damp wood, sedges make up a good proportion of the rideside vegetation, with Wood Sedge and Lady’s Smock especially just bursting into flower, and in the shady interior, Woodland Hawthorn was blooming well.

Ash dieback has taken its toll on the wood, but dead wood becomes a resource, and King Alfred’s Cakes were sprouting everywhere.

Insects included click-beetles, scorpion-flies and munching Mottled Umber moth caterpillars…

… while singing Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, with a single vocal Nightingale completed a lovely walk. Maybe it won’t be another 30 years before I return!