28th June 2025 - afternoon, Norfolk
- HK
- Jun 28
- 2 min read
Oh how behind I have fallen writing up my dairy notes the past week or so. I have been making daily scribbles in my journal but life ran away with me a little and I’ve not been typing them up to publish here. I’ve given myself a good talking to and intend to get into a rhythm or scribble and typing.
We have been experience a heatwave here in Norfolk on and off and it is set to get even hotter over the next 72 hours.
I had a strange experience Thursday on Mulbarton Common. For the first time visiting, there was not a single Crow to be found anywhere! Admittedly, it was extremely windy, but I have seen them in windy conditions before. There was not a single bird of prey in sight, either. Most peculiar. They reappeared as normal the next day. I shall observe this behaviour if it happens again and note down specific environmental conditions and try to look for patterns.
Today was a humid day as I criss-crossed the paths mown into the Common. Meadow buttercups are abundant now and the landscape is alive with butterflies and various flying insects.
I can across Galium Verum today for the first time, otherwise known as Lady’s Bedstraw. I shall include a photograph below. I have an app I use to help me identify the wildflower flowers and grasses on the Common as I am still learning called PictureThis and it had some fascinating folklore surrounding Lady’s Bedstraw…
Throughout history, lady's bedstraw has been imbued with rich symbolism and folklore. In medieval Europe, it was often used as a strewing herb due to its fragrant and insect-repelling qualities. Its common name itself hints at a legendary use; the plant was thought to be a mattress stuffing choice for women in childbirth, owing to the belief that it could offer protection and support. This narrative of lady's bedstraw as a herb of comfort and safeguarding blends botanical history with cultural lore, illustrating how plants can become interwoven with human life and beliefs.
This type of folklore is very much my cup of tea. I shall include a photograph below. I headed for shade shortly after I photographed this to escape the blazing heat of the midday sun.
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