6th June 2020 #30DaysWild

Not sure what this is!

Our bug hotel is reverting to nature - there is a huge bramble growing across the turf roof.

5th June 2020 #30DaysWild

A bright day today, with a breezy cold northerly wind.  Atmospheric pressure affects the colour in Calgary Bay which was today, looking very vivid.  Hundreds of gulls on the beach but no humans.

Flag irises are at their peak just now, just beautiful.

Early afternoon we walked the dogs down to the shore to look at the waves.

The winds were creating waves across the fields through the grasses.

We walked along the top of the raised beach, looking down at the waves.  An area of boggy damp ground, with pockets of regenerating Willow and Birch.   As we have had a dry spring the wetter areas have dried up which makes for easy walking without wellies.

Gulls were playing above the waves further along the shore.

Stonecrop is flowering.  Someone has been having their lunch on the rocks.

I think the plant of the day for me is Marsh lousewort.  I always love seeing it.

There were lots of Northern marsh orchid, True Forget me not, Cotton grass and the first Ragged robin of the  summer, all growing amongst the rushes and reeds, with small areas of aromatic Bog myrtle.  Just wonderful!

On our way back up the hill we met some of the Herdwicks.

4th June 2020 #30DaysWild

An attempt to properly name what I see, rather than guessing.  I will fill in the Latin name gaps tomorrow! 

Common lady-fern - Athyrium filix-femina

Ox-eye daisy - Leucanthemum vulgare

Germander speedwell - Veronica chamaedrys

Bog heather - Erica tetralix 

Tormentil - Potentilla erecta

Birch -

Bell heather 

Heath speedwell 

True forget me not - 

Fragrant orchid -

Wood bitter vetch - Vicia orobus 

Burnet rose 

Birds foot trefoil

Northern marsh orchid

June 3rd 2020 #30daysWild

In passing.

Vetches on the verge.  Bitter vetch and Birds foot trefoil.  

June 2nd 2020 #30DaysWild

I walked through the field we call Wigwam II to look for the Common Twayblades. They flower on a slope near the cliff-edge. It was difficult to know where to step for fear of treading on them.  Bracken is beginning to encroach on the slope so we need to keep that in check, or we will lose them.    They have reappeared in this field as a result of our grazing regimes, as there weren't any when the fields were grazed all summer without a grazing break.

Common Twayblade 

Painted lady

Bush vetch

Dandelion clocks! 

Germander (I think) speedwell

Such an important meadow plant, Yellow rattle

No shortage of it here! 

I am assuming this is just a very dark Heath spotted orchid...

June 1st 2020 #30DaysWIld

   

Noctilucent clouds over Calgary Bay

Lots of Cuckoo sightings today.  This was the first one at about 7am with a Meadowpipit.

Two marauders who shouldn't be this side of the deer fence. It is lovely to see them, but not so lovely finding young trees with deer damage. 

Starlings on the ruin next to West Cottage this evening. There is quite a good number of them around just now, including a family nesting by the house. 

Sea pinks, Thrift, growing on the stack near Port Haunn, with the Treshnish Isles in the background.