Cowpat gardening

Walking through the field the cows were in about 2 weeks ago.  This lush ring of flora hides a cow pat. Talk about natural fertiliser!

A pale lilac Self heal.

A delight to see a Six spot burnet moth on a Fragrant orchid.

A tidal stack.

Looking back to the boathouse.

Everywhere we looked there were orchids. I think these are Common spotted..

Whatever they are, they are common here.

It is bliss being out there at sunset.

Back in May we found a minute flower which no one seemed to definitely ID. Farmer thought it was Wild Angelica.  It had been growing on the cliffs of the Point, only 2 inches tall.  This was a bit taller than that, but very similar.  We saw several of this size down there, as well as tall ones.

Eyebright picking up the light.

Harebell shaking in the sunset on the Black park turf dyke.

Bog Orchids and bracken bashing

Jamie came over to give Farmer a hand to put the cattle through the crush, so they could get a fly and tick repellent treatment.  Farmer can do this on his own, but it is always easier to have someone else to help.

Farmer was bracken cutting when Jamie arrived.  This is a never ending job. We are still waiting for the helicopter to turn up to spray some more bracken for us. 

This bullock was one of the first through the crush.

Here the next in line is approaching the head of the crush. Her head will be locked into position so that Jamie can apply the repellent in 2 places on her back.

Prasad took me up on to the hill above the lochan to show me the tiny Bog Orchid.  They are so beautiful and really very small.

One evening we cycled at Croig.

And caught the sunset on the way home.

One of the jobs needing to be finished off is clearing up the wool, after shearing.  The bags need to be sown up and labelled.  The belly wool is bagged separately from the fleeces, and the brown Zwartble wool is also separated - we fear it will be considered worthless by the Wool Marketing Board.

It is lovely to see the hill changing colour as the heather flowers.

Clover is beginning to die off now, but there is still plenty of colour in the verge and on the hill.