Variations on an orchid

These are all variations of the Early purple orchid.  Found on the (steep) slopes of Treshnish Point, last night. 

A great week of weather.

From the photographs in this post you might think that we had a great week of weather last week. And we did.  But not a week of great weather.    

It has been a May when you need to snatch the sunshine moments as they happen, because there could be a shower around the corner or behind that hill.

The wild flowers are beginning to appear now, in variety if not number, yet.

The lambs are growing well and Farmer is beginning to plan bringing the in-by sheep in next week so that he can mark the lambs.

There have been lovely moments, most days.

The ash tree is flowering in the veg garden.

The nights are beginning to be too short for Aurora watching. This is my last one of the season. (Roll on August/September!)

Walter, right hand dog, has had a bit of a hair cut.

This is one of the last calves to be born.

I had a day out on Friday, over to the mainland for an AGM.  Came home in pouring rain...

But then the sun came out just before it set.

Next day was wonderful. Sunny and windy, great for air drying the laundry.

And spotting a huge number of early purple orchids.

So many dog violets in the Haunn field, the Coronation Meadow, near the gate to the hill.

Moments of wonder in the week

A morning so calm, the waves quietly dropping onto the sand. A solitary curlew amongst the surf searching oystercatchers.

Marsh Marigolds catching the late afternoon sun in the burn near the house.

As the sun was setting behind a thick band of cloud, there was Cloud Iridescence in the light clouds above.

Most of the in-by ewes have lambed now, which is a big relief and it is lovely to see the lambs all playing, running about with little random leaps which seem to express brief momentary exuberance.

This lamb and ewe were separated by the fence, and all they needed was for Farmer to 'push' the lamb along the fence line to the open gate.

Moving on for the evening, 2 cheviots ewes with their lambs and one Zwartble ewe and lamb.

The wetland is beginning to look beautiful again, and the fields are slowly beginning to green up.  We were very happy to talk meadows this week with some guests from Cumbria.   It would appear meadow world is a very small world. We found many connections and it was good to meet someone actively involved in the Coronation Meadow project.   It was also good for Farmer to hear some very positive feedback about the management of our fields, and gain some advice about what to look out for.  There is always something to learn.

Checking the sheep is still really important, as the mis-mothering happens at any time of day and night.

These twins belong to a Zwartble ewe, and as I was taking photographs of them, Farmer was rescuing another zwartie lamb which had somehow got on the wrong side of the fence.  A happy reunion followed!  And then the sound of silence as the baa-ing stops. Peace and quiet in the evening sun.

We are beginning to get to grips with the veg garden.  The view never stops enchanting me.

The night after the iridescent cloud, another sun cloud phenomena, I think this is a Sundog.

There is plenty of rhubarb just now, so we took some to Ballygown, along with more eggs!

May days

Prasad told me to keep an eye out for a Lesser Redpoll at the bird feeders, which I did - and caught this one.

I went away for a night to see an exhibition of paintings at Resipole Studios near Strontian.  When I came back I found that Farmer had turned eggs into bread.  (in fact Jeanette from Ballygown had brought us some sourdough, freshly baked yesterday morning, in exchange for some of our surplus eggs!)  How very delicious it is too.

Today has been a wintery sort of a day. High winds and persistent rains.  Not good for poor little lambs, being born into that.  Farmer wanted until the winds had dropped before going to check the coast.  He had been round the fields as usual, but everything was tucked up out of the wind. Some times you can cause more harm than good by disturbing them.

The weather did improve. Daughter and I did some gardening.  Farmer returned with a lamb whose mother had fallen off a cliff and died, but he managed to foster it on to another ewe, so fingers crossed they will bond.

The grey clouds finally revealed some colour before the sunset.  I didn't see the hare out in the field this evening for a change, but there were wheatears and wagtails bobbing about, the wagtails seem to enjoy following the cows.