gulls and fungi

Since the article in the Evening Post I have been in contact with Mr Peter Gange, after whose father Tom Gange the field is colloquially known. Although in his 80's now, he is clear in his memory of the hedge and field. His is another voice to add to those who protest the antiquity of this site. He also told me that it was his wish for his ashes to scattered on the field - he was upset at the thought that this may not be possible. His once neighbour, Jack Vernon, remembers playing amonst the hawthorns in the 30's and recalls when the whole field was divided into three by hedges that were grubbed up.
So who will the council believe? The authentic voices of people who lived here half a century ago and their own publication which extolls the hedge's historic significance? Or one report by so called experts who say the hedge is less than 20 years old?

Today it's been pouring again and the field has been doing its job of soaking up the deluge.

Dozens of seagulls are here - perhaps feeding on worms forced up from drowned burrows.

The wet weather has also been good for fungi.

They seems to appreciate the grass cuttings from the last mowing that are rotting quickly in the damp conditions.

These ones appear in small clumps rather than in rings like the field mushrooms that appear later in the year

Hopefully we will get a summer, and we will see more visitors like this comma butterfly that was here last autumn, feeding on the ivy flowers. It was in the company of red admirals - although numbers of these were less than I had previously seen. Is this due to habitat loss? If so, all the more reason to protect small feeding sites such as the Gange's Hedge