Flowers on the croft

 

On Friday I had a walk down the croft to the shore. Once again it took me an age to travel a few yards because I was stopping all the time to photograph the flowers and insects.

After my last trip down the croft I showed photos of Tormentil, Cuckoo Flower, Marsh Marigold, Yellow Flag, Milkwort, Lousewort, and Butterwort. A previous posting showed Marsh Marigolds and Primroses. Thrift had its own special posting. Here are some more of the flowers to be seen - plus a few repeats where they were irresistible.



Cuckoo Flower (also known as Ladies Smock or Milk-maids), again!


And Milkwort again.


White Clover.


Ladies' Bedstraw.


Scurvy-grass.



Silverweed.


A Centaury (I think - I need to check it further).


Bird's-foot-trefoil.


Forget-me-nots.



Scentless Mayweed.




Common (or Heath?) Spotted Orchids.

On the croft and along the cliffs..

On Saturday afternoon I had a wander around Iain and Carleo's croft and along the cliff top looking at the wild flowers and enjoying the sunhine.



In the grasses Tormentil sparkles away. It often reminds me of the Lakeland ells where I first saw it.


And Cuckoo Flower (also known as Ladies’ Smock).


In the wetter parts, hundreds of Marsh Marigolds are in flower,


And the Yellow Flag (or Yellow Iris) are just beginning to flower.


As always I couldn’t resist photographing Bayble Island from various angles.


The ledges of Bayble Island provide a nesting site for hundreds of seabirds.


On the drier ground the pretty little Milkwort can be found.


And in the shorter wet grasses the Lousewort is common.


The beautiful little Butterwort flower hides a nasty secret - the leaves trap and ingest insects.


In the pools on the peaty streams Pond Skaters were skimming along.


The wettest parts of the area have beds of Sphagnum mosses.



I was surprised to find a cow pat on the cliff top - I’ve never seen a cow there. These toadstools were growing in it.


Many of the fence posts are covered in lichens.

On the croft

Friday, 30th May 2008
I walked down to the shore again this afternoon and en route photographed some of the flowers to be found on it including Tormentil, Buttercups, Primroses, Marsh Marigolds, Cuckoo Flower, Lesser Celandine, and Thrift.






As always I could not resist photographing Bayble Island. What is it about islands that gives them such special appeal?




One of my ambitions is to photograph a Skylark singing in flight. I haven’t managed it yet but at least today I got some photos of one sitting on fence posts and trying to distract me - presumably its nest was nearby.