Cobwebs beautifully adorned

I awoke the other morning to the common shrouded in mist, it looked like a totally different world and so uninviting, I went outside but decided against taking any photographs for my garden gate blog  as it wouldn't make for a very interesting post, but as I was turning back towards the house I noticed a cobweb, a glorious cobweb and then another and another, I then realised that the common was covered in them, so I rushed inside, grabbed my camera, donned a pair of wellingtons and ventured out into the common to capture the beauty of these masterpieces bedecked with glistening jewels, before the sun took over for the day.

and even the flowers such as these Lady's Smock were adorned with beautiful dew jewels

just open the gate to search for the hidden treasures just beyond my garden

Right on our doorstep, literally, is a magnificent common and at this time of the year it displays so many of nature's gems, so beautiful, I just had to share them with you.

Lousewort only found on acidic grassland

lousewort and Tormentil another acid loving plant

Common Valerian

Sorrel

bracken unfurling

first Ragged Robin

Lady's Smock or Cuckoo Flower

Hawthorn

Small Copper butterfly

Small Copper on Common Valerian

I hope I have identified all of these correctly, I am not an expert on wild flowers.

    The following morning the common was shrouded in mist which provided a spectacularly eerie display of the cobwebs but I shall leave them for another day.

Glorious Hedgerows

The lane down to our house looks stunning at the moment. I love to see the cow parsley towering over all the other plants framing the lane beautifully, with the hidden gems tucked in amongst it all. So while it is looking so magnificent and before someone decides it has grown too tall and cuts it all down, I have photographed some of its wonders, I do hope you enjoy these.

Bluebells and Badger

We arrived at our chosen destination  today, Jacksons Coppice, to be greeted by the call of a cuckoo, my first for 2010. We used to have them regularly flying around outside our house, last summer they didn't return and we haven't seen or heard them from home this year either, so it was lovely to hear this one, tantalisingly close but not a sign of it anywhere, but still a bonus, as the reason for visiting Jacksons Coppice wasn't for the birds at all but the bluebells.
The bluebells didn't disappoint, their heady scent filled the air and everywhere you looked  bluebells reigned supreme.Beautiful.

Jacksons Coppice is managed by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. Part of their management plan is to allow fallen wood to lie and rot, providing habitats for insects and to decompose naturally back into the woodland. These woodpiles create a stunning backdrop to the bluebells.

As well as bluebells; stitchwort, wood sorrel, red campion and yellow archangel were also in flower.

We decided to wait a while on this bench in hope that the sun might break through, the views were spectacular through the bluebells down towards a badger sett.

 while we were waiting we were rewarded with this sighting of a young badger, heading towards the sett, this was at 11-30am just sauntering around in broad daylight,without a care in the world.

We watched it for a good 5 minutes before it disappeared back into it's sett, and all the while the cuckoo was calling.

The sun did come out for a short while too and with it the butterflies, orangetips mainly and this large white butterfly.

All in all a perfect morning walk.