An afternoon visit to Allimore Green Common

Allimore Green Common is a small meadow managed by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.
Today we enjoyed a quiet stroll around the common along a mown path.
At this time of year a visit is strongly recommended as it is bursting with colour, boasting several different species of orchids and meadow thistles amongst its many species of plants.
To greet us at the gate is this information board, which gives you ample background information about this reserve. So here it is for your information, or you can click on link above.

After the gate we had to negotiate our way past these very placid Highland Cattle.

Once past the cattle we could look at, photograph and admire the flora and occasional fauna.
Just a mass of colour

Orchids
I am not an orchid twitcher, but on Allimore Green Common you can get Southern Marsh Orchids, Common Spotted Orchids,  and hybridised orchids so your guess is as good as mine

.

Meadow Thistles,

Allimore Green Common is one of just a handful of known places in Staffordshire where Meadow Thistles can be found , so wonderful to see so many.

Not rare but I do like to see rushes, Juncus

Cotton grass Eriophorum

Looking for grass snakes to no avail, but did manage to find this toad taking shelter under some corrugated iron sheeting.