All seemed quiet on the avian scene with 16 records. A family of Goldcrest had evoked delight prior to our walk. Other birds seen included Greylag Geese on the lake and grassland, Heron in the trees, House martins around the castle and a Red Kite overhead.
Alice recorded 6 fern species and 108 plant species, of which 94 had flowers and the rest were in fruitThe special plants included Nodding Bur Marigold, Common Skullcap, Marsh Woundwort, Water Pepper and Fairy Foxglove growing on the walls below the castle. The herbaceous borders of the walled garden were a riot of floral colour and also the venue of 5 species of butterfly dancing among the flowers when the sun shone. They included Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Comma and Speckled Wood. The kitchen garden contained an interesting variety of fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, knot garden and wild flower meadow. September is a delightful month and it was our good fortune with the weather that allowed us to enjoy our visit to the full.
Margaret