Episode 2.30 - Burnet Wings and Knapweed Crowns

In this vibrant episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin revel in a glorious late July morning at High Ash Farm, where nature dons its finest. Over a purple knapweed sea—its hard heads buzzing with bees—six-spot burnet moths dazzle with jet-black wings and crimson spots, emerging from reflective cocoons after a cyanide-rich diet of birdsfoot trefoil. Parasitic wonders like yellow rattle and lesser broomrape thrive, their seeds hinting at future life, while the regal wildflower field bursts with poppies, yarrow, and cornflower blue, a Van Gogh palette revived from set-aside days. Listener tales of window-struck warblers, brown tail moths, and swift absences weave into this tapestry, as swallows feast under a cotton-wool sky.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17556276-episode-2-30-burnet-wings-and-knapweed-crowns.mp3?download=true