We're told that keeping the bird feeders going during the spring and early summer is particularly appreciated by the seed-eaters. The feeders are certainly popular with the greenfinches and chaffinches.

On the way to Charterhouse we called in to GB Gruffy, to find that the orchids are in full bloom. Must be nearly a thousand plants there, just a few yards from the road. We were surprised to find them growing even in the marshy area. There's no water on the ground, just very damp conditions: we had wet knees and elbows after taking these images, even though the last rain was a couple of days ago.

It's evidently marshy enough to suit the Marsh Fritillary, several newly-hatched individuals of which were letting their wings inflate in the bright sunshine. We didn't manage capture an image of one on an orchid but we did spend a few minutes chasing after a Chimney Sweeper moth whose wings are a described as a sooty black when newly-hatched with just a touch of white edging at the wingtip, the one we saw seemed more of a vary dark indigo, almost as pretty as a common blue and about the same size. Tricky job, trying to follow it around without trampling the orchids but we managed.

The Axbridge bypass runs just below the foot of Shute Shelve hill. To get to Shute Shelve hill one has to cross the bypass and walk along the verge for about 100m. Whilst on an evening amble with Steve, we spotted two groups of bee orchids on the high grassy bank bordering the verge of the bypass. Somerset County Council has established the Somerset Environmental Records Centre which encourages the general public to report any observations of rare or endangered species of animals, plants and insects --- so we returned the following day to make these visual records of the orchids and emailed them to the SERC.

Off to Charterhouse, not to take photos but to have a picnic and listen to the skylarks. Skylark numbers are declining in the UK but we know that there are several nesting pairs up at the very far edge of Charterhouse. It was a glorious day and the skylarks were singing their hearts out. This nearby spoil heap has been colonised by a very striking colony of biting stonecrop. The view is across the "gruffy ground" section of Charterhouse and shows how the old opencast mine workings have returned to nature. A hundred and fifty years ago, this would have been an industrial site, now it is busy with wildflowers and animals.

The yellow flowers growing in the grass in the foreground are birdsfoot trefoil and yellow rock rose. A detailed photo of that area would also reveal the pinks and purples of thyme and marjoram and the blues of speedwell and milkwort. Between the rabbit warren in the gruffy ground and the rabbit warren in the far ridge is a level area of long grass where the skylarks sing and the rabbits play. Sounds too idyllic to be true but happily that's not the case.

In the interests of getting some pleasant exercise, we went bicycling along the coast road from Berrow to Brean Down. The river Axe enters the Bristol Channel at Brean, having meandered its way across the levels. The view south from Brean takes in the Isle of Frogs (Brent Knoll) and, on the distant horizon, Glastonbury Tor. The second image is a telephoto zoom of the boats just visible in the first image.