Fowlmead

More blue skies and dawn-to-dusk sunshine - it's all getting very dry. The most likely visitor to the scrapes is a sandhill crane.
For a bit a relief from the dust I strolled around the Fowlmead slag-heap, which may not seem the best place to go to find water but it's surrounded by dykes which give some respite.
Up on the heap itself, however, it's as dry as a bone, and since my last visit numerous bike paths have been cut through the scrub, and I'm pleased to say that the place was busy with people having fun.
Sea buckthorn has spread, despite being quite far from the sea, but its orange berries are a welcome bit of colour.
I knew it was too early and too dry, but I did hope for some fungi.....all I saw were birch polypores - white ones are this year's growth, while darker ones are left over from last year. The odour is 'pleasant' apparently, but I've not found any reference to being edible - merely being used as a razor strop because it is so tough.
It may be dry now, but this land is below sea level and at risk if the tide, wind and moon combine in the right (wrong) way. The sea defences that were improved in the 1970s have done their job so far, and will hopefully continue to do so. Otherwise the areas of dark blue on the map will be a lovely new wetland for birds.