Summer Fields Dancing with Butterflies

 We had a lovely morning out today (I had a meeting in the afternoon so we couldn't make it a full day!). We went over to Silverknowes and decided to walk through the fields that are going to become a new agro-ecology project on the Lauriston Farm site. The fields are currently being allowed to rewild themselves so that the project managers can work out what wildlife is there before they decide how to manage the fields for community food production. 

The fields look wonderful, especially in today's hot sunshine.

 

It's good to see that paths have been mown through the fields, and even more encouraging is the fact that people seem to be sticking to these fields, rather than trampling over all the wildflowers. 

 

And the fields are dancing with butterflies! Mostly meadow browns

but also ringlets 

small tortoiseshells and a small skipper. 

There were a lot of house martins and swifts flying around, which was wonderful to see. 

It will be interesting to see how the project develops, though there continue to be concerns that not enough space will be made for the wading birds that have made some of the fields their winter homes over many years. 

For Nature Notes.