Very well said HG
I can identify with Marigold's post, reflecting on changes, although I know that in my case its because former farm land was built on, with ordinary housing, not super swanky, so I can understand why. However, living here in Portugal we are in the midst of a strange duality. On the one hand I have never seen so many wild flowers and grasses, of different types each year. If one was the plant equivalent of a twitcher, I am not saying things are rare, but you would get to see such a range, I am constantly bewitched and walk about with my book, crossing things off as I manage to identify them. But on the other hand, I have never seen ordinary smallholders with such a penchant for chemicals. You need a licence to use them, but its all about how you use them, not about the quantity (or the need in the first place). But there again, people kill the wild forms of plants to give their edibles the best chance of thriving; and in a remote, rural and poor area, who am I to complain. But I realise this is different to the wanton destruction of habitat. I have friends who like order in their house and I suspect they would not allow the wild plants to bloom, but would have dealt with them long before, whereas I just adore them, and the grasses. I often think of my old flock on the range, I was lucky enough to have wild meadow grassland as my back garden and it was heaven for them (and me); they would appreciate it here in the Spring (but not the summer!)
My own nature observations yesterday included a different ladder snake to the usual one, much smaller, but much braver, S-ing across the patio as I nearly trod on it, and then laying low on a bit of ground I use every day. It had very distinct markings, perhaps they mellow as they age. One of our guests was a quivering wreck behind the window, but I was fascinated! This morning was very exciting - a red legged partridge in next doors garden. They live in the forest nearby, but I have never seen one on more cultivated land.
That's my dream.
