Knocking Hoe is speckled with Speedwells at the moment.

 Sometimes called Germander Speedwell, sometimes known as Bird's Eye Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys in the Latin. The dainty blue flowers can be prolific in grassland, tiny but lovely.

 Speedwells were dotted among Cowslips over the knolls of Knocking. On the village green in nearby Pirton another combination: Speedwells, Daisies and Buttercups.

 Sit spot. A good walk needs a good sit down at some point. Whether by accident or design this tree stump is in an ideal location to rest the feet and take in the view...

 

 A woodland edge in South London. Except there isn't a wood. The border on the southern side of my garden is shaded by mature trees and a block of flats. Woodland species are sometimes well suited to the part shade/part sun of urban gardens.     

 

 Something stirring in the undergrowth- hedgehogs. Go back a few decades and the garden of the family home had a lawn and herbaceous borders. My father still lives there and by a mixture of accident and design it has become a "wild garden". The trees that were small have grown tall, the shrubs have become bushier. The lawn and the borders have given way to species that prefer the shadier conditions, some planted some self-seeded. A haven for wildlife albeit in the middle of town.

 Yesterday evening I was sitting on the patio with a gin and tonic when I heard the huffing and chuffing of some unknown animal. Just before I went to bed I looked out again and spotted two hedgehogs. A few minutes later they had shuffled off but I could hear them in the patch of nettles seen above. A bit of late night research confirmed that I was hearing what is sometimes referred to as the 'hedgehog mating dance'. According to the charity Hedgehog Street "Males attempt to woo females in lengthy encounters that involve much circling and rhythmic snorting and puffing".

 There have always been hedgehogs in the garden but it's rare to see them. As the garden has grown wilder it has become even more suitable as a habitat. When I went to bed I heard the hooting of an owl for the first time in a while. Owls have been another regular visitor to the garden over the years. Not one but two hedgehogs and an owl -what a night! 

 Our native Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) is mostly a woodlander -as seen here in Wain Wood- but this is a species that can adapt to circumstances. As noted in my entry on Sunday I walked from Wain Wood to West Wood which has a large area of conifer plantation carpeted with Bluebells. 

 The plantation must be modern but the Bluebell population ancient given how prolific they are. Most likely an area of ancient woodland was cleared sometime in the twentieth century. A section on the north side of West Wood appears to be a fragment of the original tree cover.

 Conifers were planted en masse after the First World War in "unproductive" woods and open land to restore the country's timber reserves. In the case of West Wood it seems the Bluebells survived this transition. 

 My route from Wain to West Wood was via Tatmore Hills Lane (a muddy track) where the hedgebanks were brimming with Bluebells. The open fields on either side were probably created by tree felling centuries ago. It was a common practice to retain a sliver of original woodland to form a boundary rather than plant a hedge. This would explain the presence of so many Bluebells and other woodland wildflowers all along the lane.

 Beyond the lane I followed the footpath to West Wood which follows the boundary between two huge arable fields. It was lined with Bluebells growing in open ground. Probably they are the last vestige of a hedgerow that is gone which was the last vestige of a wood that is gone. Nonetheless the Bluebells persist. 

 Speaking of Cowslips I saw this churchyard last week in St. Paul's Walden. The grass is probably cut from time to time but not too often so the Cowslips don't get shaded out by tall grasses nor cut down in their prime.   

 Cowslips (Primula veris)