Summer Posterchild

"Summer Posterchild"

The gold and green vista of an English meadow was once a common sight in Summer. Such a sight is much rarer now, as 97% of the UK's meadows have been lost since World War II. This photo was taken at Langdon Hills Country Park in Essex, part of the Langdon Living Landscape. The Country Park's meadows are varied; some were improved for agriculture in the past and are gaining in wildlife interest through appropriate management, while some fields were already glorious with wildflowers. Three of the fields are important enough to be designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Serotinal Shots 2013

 

Here are two shots of late Summer that I have picked out to share. Autumn colours are coming to some of the trees already, such as the willows, sycamores and field maples. The Summer is still lingering in a few places however, and with some serotinal sunshine at the beginning of October I caught these pictures in the stunning Constable Country around Flatford Mill and Dedham Vale. This area sits at the edge of Essex and Suffolk, and has been popularised through the artwork of John Constable.

The flowers in the picture above, an unexpected splash of bright colour found lingering in the Cattawade Marsh area (between Flatford and Manningtree), are a yellow which recollects the easy sunshine of the high Summer months now past. These were more beautiful for their evanescence, as the cold weather would soon close in and cause their disappearance from the countryside.

The image "Oak and Granary" below sums up to me the pastoral beauty of the Flatford area, bathing in the afternoon light. The oak tree, a veteran full of character and cavities, looks yet Sumer-strong in its green foliage, and frames the fields and the 18th Century wool-store-turned-granary (now a bed and breakfast) behind it.

 

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Images of Summer

A selection of 2013 Summer pictures, from those taken so far (in spite of the weather which has been decidedly indecisive). Some feature flowers, some insects, and others just luxuriate in the glorious Summer sunshine. Here's hoping there will be more Summer weather to come!