Walking on Treshnish at this time of year is particularly exciting for us. Looking to see the old favourites, like the carpets of pink thrift, or giant clumps of marsh marigold, or clinging orchids on cliff tops, and discovering new waves of wind blown natural regeneration.
Early purple orchid and primrose.
Sea thrift and lichens.
Sea campion.
Farmer could not find Brownie yesterday and I went with him to look. Thankfully we found him safe and sound in with the cheviots and the other zwarties, having clearly decided that he had had enough of being with the rest of the tups. This is definitely the time of year to spot the natural regeneration. The freshly unfurled leaves seem to light up in the sun. And it was really nice to see how well keeping the stock out of the various areas was working and that the young trees were beginning to attain a mass of their own as they spread out from the seed source.
The foreground of this photograph is bracken coming through (unfortunately) but the mid height fresh green on either side of the older trees are young native broadleaf trees. Successful natural regeneration!
Farmer built this wooden tree guard a few years ago, having seen a tiny birch appear in the Black Park field. I am sure all this time people walking by have wondered what on earth it was doing - but this spring finally it has reached enough size, and the protected tree can be seen.
The barn owl box, with natural regeneration appearing beyond the fence.
Shelter for the sheep in winter, not much regeneration here!
Lichen like blossom on blackthorn trees.
Looking down into sheltered gully between the farmhouse and the sea. Bluebells.
Blackthorn blossom. And lichens.
Young self sown rowan tree appearing above the heather.
Early purple orchid.
These lonely isolated trees, clinging on - holding up against the winds in the winter. For how much longer is any one's guess. But in the distance you can make out the new growth appearing in areas fenced off for natural regeneration.
I love the shape of these trees silhouetted against the sea - up near the cattle shed. Regeneration is appearing here too, which is fine to see, for the health of the woodland but I will miss the shapes the older trees had created.
Rocky walls of climbing thrift, down near the Ensay Burn mouth. Curlews calling. And an oystercatcher.
It was difficult to photograph this to show what a huge clump of marsh marigold this was, down by the boathouse beach.