Ramblings, photos and thoughts from the village of Bepton, West Sussex – plus Midhurst, The South Downs, Chichester and surrounding areas.
A wonderful end-of-the-weekend stroll around the fields. The hedgerow was in full song with Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps gunning it from the undergrowth. We even heard our first Cuckoo — not bad for the 10th April! Deep in the hedges we found Summer Snowflake, and from over the top of the bushes popped a Llama! It’s all happening in Bepton…
The verges are frothing with Cuckoo Flower this week. It’s a great example of a plant that’s flowering earlier than it did in centuries gone by. It’s named after the Cuckoo but its feathered namesake won’t arrive in the UK for at least another three weeks – in times gone by the plant and the bird appeared at the same time.
By the way, Cuckoo Flower (or Lady’s Smock) is said to be sacred to the fairies! If you pick the flowers and take them home you’ll be in for bad luck! Oooh err!
Bepton Ranger 