June 18th 2021 #30DaysWild

A walk into the Black Park looking for orchids. 

A new site for Moonwort today - beside the track going down towards the burn in the hill park. 

19th June 2020 #30DaysWild

We walked round the Haunn field this evening.  It was cloudy and windy so challenging for photographs.

The distribution of wild flowers in these fields changes from year to year, and it is difficult to know whether our grazing management is affecting it or is the weather or something else.

No doubt about it this seems to be a very good orchid year.  We are finding Greater butterfly orchids all over the in by fields and lots of Fragrants too. 

Masses of Creeping buttercup and Yellow rattle but seeing the leaves of Tufted vetch coming so hopefully it will be a good year for that too. 

Another big patch of Nettles crawling with Peacock caterpillars.

The first Tufted vetch. 

Noctilucent clouds before they were clouded out by heavy clouds lower down. 

June 8th 2018 #30DaysWild

In the field below the house, the knolls covered in Bluebell and Pignut are beginning to clash with the yellows of Buttercup and Yellow rattle spreading across the grassland, interspersed with deep pink of Red clover and the occasional Common or Northern marsh orchid. 

#30DaysWild - day 25

#30DaysWild - day 25.

A picture story of a meander through the in-by fields on the farm, looking at the wonderment of flora at our feet. 

Another evening walk

It was good to get home after a necessary day in Oban, but a little embarrassing to discover that I had got the date of the meeting with our new bank manager wrong, and he arrived while I was in Oban! Luckily Farmer was working close to home, and was able to show him round. 

I hate going to Oban when the weather is good, so as soon as we had had something to eat Farmer and I took our bikes down to Haunn, and walked through the field where the cows were to see how they were getting on in munching down the sward.  

Red campion by the house this morning, when I let the dog out..

Wood Bitter vetch in the Coronation Meadow/Haunn field.

In the field beyond Haunn where the cows are, a swathe of heath spotted orchids untouched by the cows. There is still plenty of grass for them.

Over the silvery sea and into the silvery light of the slowly setting sun, a shag takes flight.  It had been sitting on some rocks. The cliffs feel quiet, almost empty of nesting birds.

The foxgloves outside Middle are looking amazing just now.

The tinge of blue from the dying bluebells in the Haunn field.

A bee on the Wood bitter vetch - my macro better come back from the menders soon! Farmer had headed off and left me to my own devices by this stage...

A few moments after I got into the house, the sunset gave us all a wonderful show.