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.

Never a dull walk, whatever the weather

The morning School Run walk along the beach this morning.  Appearance of calm and beautiful even without the sunshine.  It progressed into mildly damp and continuing greyness, with the sea appearing and disappearing from view, through low misty clouds.

The nettle patches are looking beautiful at the moment. I am not sure what these funny imperfections are.

The slugs at Treshnish are very well fed - nothing but the best - we saw them devouring orchids and the rare wood bitter-vetch today...!

It is really hard to photograph especially as the macro is still being mended after last week's calamity, but there are areas of literally hundreds of heath spotted orchids, and they look amazing.

Into the Haunn field, the bluebells and pignut make a wonderful dappled colour on a dark evening.  Meadowpipits chase a cuckoo into the tree beside Toechtamhor.

Masses of wood bitter vetch flowering now too.

Sadly this little nest beside the track has not survived.  Something had pulled the top layers of the nest out and it lay on the ground.  Nowhere was the bird, nor her eggs.

I will endeavour to go back and take this shot again in better light.  There is wood bitter vetch, heath spotted orchid, pignut, pea vetch, birds foot trefoil, tormentil, all looking so pretty.

Droplets of water on the water avens..

Wild blue hues affecting the sky colour in this one, but it shows the density of the bluebells.  Lovely to see the chimney smoke from West Cottage.

The end of the dandelion.

I think these are Northern Marsh Orchids.

The light may have been dull, but the flowers more than made up for it.

Changing by the day

A bit of light livestock work for the teenager who wanted to get the two bottle fed lambs on to solid food.  Farmer had been holding some sheep muesli back deliberately for them, and Eoligarry (the larger lamb rescued by Farmer a week ago) took to it immediately.  Elmo, the smaller, was less sure.

The cows in front of the house seem to be quite settled where they are, we are enjoying their presence.

The dogs are always interested in the lambs. Walter wants to lick them.

Jan, as usual, is lurking at some distance but comes quickly to the call of the Farmer.

Down below the house, the red campion is popping up everywhere.

This poor rowan may be flowering for the last time, as it was laid low by the storms.

The fields are changing colour - into the yellows of yellow rattle and buttercup now.

Ferns by the graveyard, Kilmaluaig.

A huge example of the Early Purple Orchid, going over now.

Thrift at the Ensay burn mouth.

Oystercatcher nest.  We made a hasty retreat having seen it.  Thankfully the dogs were at heel and not running wild.

Ferns.

More common twayblade.

 The field below the house.

Swathes of yellows coming in now.

A woven beach find.