Hay-meadow flowers

Pete and I spent much of the day shivering in a species-rich hay meadow in Milton Keynes, recording quadrats for the Floodplain Meadows Partnership. Thankfully we finished our day's work before a humungous storm reached us. We drove back through it, and at one point all the verges were completely covered with white hailstones. 


The studio shot shows some of the characteristic herbaceous plants found in this types of grassland. Floodplain meadows are beautiful, ancient and fascinating places rich in wildlife and history. Throughout the spring and early summer, they are awash with wildflowers and waving grasses, humming with insects and the birds that depend on them. They provide a vibrant and beautiful spectacle that has now all but disappeared from the UK.