Week ending: 30th June 2024: Musselburgh to Longniddry Bents

John and I travelled east this week to explore the Lothian coast between Musselburgh and Lonngniddry Bents. We were expecting cold and dry, but cloudy conditions (according to the UK Weather Maps app). Our first stop, as usual, was in Dalkeith Morrisons cafe for breakfast (excellent: 9.5/10; -0.5 for small plates), before driving to the mouth of the River Esk at Musselburgh.

After parking we could see the tide was fairly high and the light was poor.

I was drawn to a line of Common Mallow flowers that were blooming along the fence by the river. From a quick scan of the river mouth we could see it was packed with familiar birds - Canada Geese, Swans, Cormorants and lots of moulting Eider.

Common Mallow	Canada Goose
Mute Swan	Cormorant
Eider in Eclipse Plumage	Female Eider

House Sparrows were commuting from the sandy shore to the hedges (where we presumed they had hungry chicks to feed). John spotted that Swallows were swooping over the river catching insects but occasionally landing by a convenient puddle in a depression on the short grass in front of the Cadet Hall. Carrion Crows were very much in evidence, ever-searching for the easy meal.

Male House Sparrow	Female House Sparrow
Barn Swallow	Carrion Crow

We relocated a mile along the coast to Morrisons Haven , a former port and now an historical feature on the John Muir Way. Unfortunately though, there were very few birds or the expected Seals showing on the rocks near the shore; the only birds we saw were a Carrion Crow and a female Eider. But you may notice from the Crow picture that the sun started to make an appearance.My attentions then turned to the plant life. Large patches of Haresfoot Clover were growing around the perimeter of the car park and Common Mugwort was in flower (unattractive though it is).

Carrion Crow	Female Eider
Hare's-foot Clover	Common Mugwort

The view westward along the footpath towards the Scrapes at Levenhall Links was dominated by large areas the yellow flowers of Ribbed Melilot.

To the east of the car park I photographed a Yarrow plant from which we found a newby bug, Megaloceroea recticornis, an elongate grass bug. Pleased with that, we then captured an image of a Tree Bumblebee buzzing around a Beach Rose. And to make a nice trio of interesting discoveries, John found a couple of flowering Great Mullein plants sprouting through the long grass that borders the path.

Yarrow	Bug - Megaloceroea recticornis.
Tree Bumblebee	Great Mullein

Satisfied with our brief but quite productive visit to Morrison's Haven, we had a brief stop at a car park at Cockenzie to view the seascape there. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of note and we quickly moved on to Port Seton. There had been reports of a Rosy Starling in that area but we could not see it amongst the many starlings that were gathered on the roofs of the buildings that lined the promenade.

Most of the Starlings on the roofs were juveniles. Looking toward the Firth of Forth, the low tide had lots of dry, bare rock where there were lots of moulting Eiders lounging on the most distant boulders. A quick check of the harbour area was also fairly fruitless, apart from Herring Gulls and a few Oystercatchers. However, on our way back to the car I noticed a clump of Purple Toadflax that was growing on a patch of rough ground.

Starling	Herring Gull
Oystercatcher	Purple Toadflax

What would turn out to be our final location was Longniddry Bents. Having seen the dearth of seabirds at Port Seton and Cockenzie, we weren’t expecting a large presence of sea birds at Longniddry Bents. We were though more optimistic about the prospect of discovering interesting wildflowers with attendant insects. Straight away we found Dove's-foot Cranesbill and Common Restharrow  on the short grass by the car park. Next, I heard, then saw nearby, a bold Whitethroat on top of low bushes. It hung around long enough for me to get a couple of decent shots before it flew off after another bird.

Dove's-foot Cranesbill	Common Restharrow
Whitethroat...

We set off walking to the east along the foreshore that was lined with large concrete blocks  - World War II anti-tank measures. We began noticing bumblebees on the thistles: a White-tailed Bumblebee on Creeping Thistle and Buff-tailed Bumblebee on Milk Thistle. I also found a Common Red Soldier Beetle. Soon after that, John heard the mellifluous tones of a Dunnock that was perched on Bramble bushes. Beyond the bushes, there were strikingly beautiful areas packed with Bloody Cranesbill flowers and Vipers Bugloss: large flowering spikes of blue flowers with long red stamens.

White-tailed Bumblebee	Buff-tailed Bumblebee
Red Soldier Beetle	Dunnock
Bloody Cranesbill	Viper's Bugloss

An Early Bumblebee was feeding on Vipers Bugloss as I attempted to photograph some Meadow Cranesbills that were facing away from the Sun. No such problem photographing Thrift whose flowers are arranged in global clusters. A small hoverfly, Syrphus Ribesii, nipped past us and settled on a some bracken.

Early Bumblebee	Meadow Cranesbill
Thrift	Hoverfly, Syrphus Ribesii

The view to the east of Gosford house was quite stunning.

We took a slightly different route back to the car. It was a path a bit further back from the shore and we found it very rich in wildflowers and insects. Tall plants such as Milk Thistle and Prickly Sow Thistle, Teasel and Weld caught our attentions.

Milk Thistle	Prickly Sow Thistle
Teasel	Weld

We finished with a quartet of very pretty wildflowers. The first of these was Common Centaury, a member of the Gentian family. Close-by was a patch of the low spreading plant, Storksbill, so named because the shape of its seed pod is similar to that of a stork’s bill. We came upon a more open area that was ‘carpeted’ with red-purple coloured Wild Thyme. The last of our quartet was Green Alkanet with its piercing blue flowers.

Common Centaury	Common Storksbill
Wild Thyme	Green Alkanet

As we progressed through the various locations of our trip we had noticed that there had been several, what one might call, exotic low-flying aircraft: a xxxx aeroplane, two Autogyro-copters and a microlite. We wondered whether they had been part of an air-show or an air race. However, I’ve scoured the internet for such event - with no success. Perhaps it was merely coincidence that they each appeared in the same hour.

It was wide and varied trip that revealed 39 species. My favourite sighting was the Whitethroat, Dunnock and the bees and of all of the flowers I enjoyed seeing the Common Centaury. We celebrated the successes of the day in the usual way - by consuming lovely strawberry tarts washed down with strong teas. The weather had turned out better than was predicted. Hopefully it will be the same next week.


Week ending: 23rd June 2024: Musselburgh

I made a short, solo trip to Musselburgh this week where the weather was predicted to be mainly cloudy with sunny intervals. I parked at the Levenhall Links car park and walked the 150m to the sea wall, stopping whenever I saw insects feeding on the wild flowers. By the time I reached the wall I had pictures of a Honey Bee, a pollen-covered sawfly, Tenthredo arcuata, and Tree and Buff-tailed Bumblebees. The rough roadway along the sea wall was bordered by an extensive bank of Ribbed Melitot  - attracting many Honey Bees.

Honey Bee	Sawfly - Tenthredo Arcuata
Tree Bumblebee	Buff-tailed Bumblebee
Ribbed Melilot	Another Honey Bee

There was a huge flock of moulting Eiders on the waters below the sea wall. The fine white and black plumages of many of the drakes were being replaced by dingy, brown feathers and there was much flapping and splashing and preening going on.

A young Cormorant too was preening as it stood on a tall yellow pole about 50m from the shore. I walked along the path at the north end of the old “Scrapes” nature reserve. Reed Buntings were calling from the scattered bushes and Goldfinches were twittering as they moved across the leafy branches. I also spotted a Sunfly hoverfly (also known as “the Footballer”) gorging the pollen in a yellow flower.

Juvenile Cormorant	Reed Bunting
Goldfinch	Sunfly Hoverfly

My attention was returned to the waters just beyond the sea wall where a very big flock of Goosanders had started dashing, furiously paddling away from the wall. I couldn’t see what had spooked them.

The Goosander flock consisted mainly of very panicky juveniles and they were soon over 100m from the wall. I followed the path around the perimeter fence of the reserve and came upon a patch of beautiful blue spikes of Vipers Bugloss. Near the entrance to the reserve there were Meadow Vetchling flowers in bloom. Before entering the reserve though, I checked out the edges of the pond for damselflies and was pleased to find Blue-tailed and Common Blue species active on the grasses at the water’s edge.

Juvenile Goosander...
Viper's Bugloss	Meadow Vetchling
Blue-tailed Damselfly	Common Blue Damselfly

On arrival at the leftmost hide I caught a Magpie hunting flies in front of the hide. A male immature Black_headed Gull was paddling at the near edge of the scrape near a young Carrion Crow that was waiting for its adult to feed it. As I was photographing a drake Teal that was dabbling at the near edge of the scrape, a Little Egret flew over the scrape pursued by a juvenile Common Gull. After they had passed, two Mute Swans took to the water after a spell of prolonged preening.

Magpie	2nd Cycle Black-headed Gull
Juvenile Carrion Crow	Teal
1st Cycle Common Gull / Little Egret	Mute Swan

I could see some oystercatchers that were gathered at the far end of the scrape.

A Lapwing flew in and started foraging at the edge of the scrape. An eclipse drake Mallard became disturbed and flew off over the reserve boundary. A female Mallard emerged from the grasses at the edge of the the right side scrape

Lapwing...
Mallard in Eclipse Plumage	Fremale Mallard

I relocated to the middle hide and just about could see beyond overgrown vegetation.

I got relatively close views of Woodpigeons and an Oystercatcher. I counted a dozen Shelducks that were on and around the middle scrape, most of which were sleeping or preening and there were 3 feeding on the scrape. When all the activity died down somewhat, I decided to return to the car. On my way out of the reserve I photographed some nice Common Vetch flowers.

Wood Pigeon	Oystercatcher
Female Shelduck	Common Vetch

 A shy Long-tailed Tit  made a brief appearance as it flitted from tree to tree. I finished the trip with a trio of flower shots, very familiar, but beautiful subjects: luscious Red Clover, classic Creeping Thistle and a very bonny Dog Rose.

LOng - tailed Tit	Red Clover
Creeping Thistle	Dog ( Wild ) Rose

 My 2hr visit to Musselburgh yielded a satisfying number and range of sightings - 32 species. My favourite of these were the bees, the Little Egret and the neurotic Goosanders. The weather behaved itself this week - more of the same next week please.

Week ending: 16th June 2024: Troon

This week the weather prediction was “best in the west”. However, it was to be cloudy with a high probability of light rain. John and I opted for Troon and we started the day (after some long and winding diversions around road works on the A71) in Troon Morrisons cafe (9.5/10: excellent- a great improvement from last week in Dalkeith; still though, -0.5 for small plates).

After breakfast we literally crossed the road to the car park at the North Beach where we could see that the tide was on the way out - and the Sun was shining.

The large Sea Radish plants were flowering all along the foreshore and John pointed out a clump of what we thought was Meadow Cranesbill but was actually Purple Cranesbill , the hybrid Geranium X magnificum. Common Comfrey was also present and hosted busy bees such as Early and Bumblebees and (not photographed) Tree Bumblebees. We walked along an avenue of bushes which was lined by wildflowers and insects. Prickly Sow Thistle caught my eye as did a rather bold Collared Dove. John spotted a Rabbit at the end of the path, but it bolted on seeing us. However I discovered more rabbits further along the path and did manage a long shot.

Sea Radish	Purple Cranesbill
Early Bumblebee	Prickly Sow Thistle
Collared Dove	Rabbit

We came upon a picnic bench with a fine view of Troon Harbour and, right in front of us, the sands revealed by the falling tide. There were Oystercatchers, Carrion Crows and Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls. The picture below also shows, on the left , a pair of birds we didn’t notice at the time. I’ve inset a bigger image of the birds and they look as if they could be Bar - tailed Godwits.

The borders of the picnic area were rich in wildflowers and insects. Large patches of Field - Forget - Me - Nots and Brambles were obvious but I also discovered a few instances of Bittersweet, small but very pretty Violet and yellow flowers that are related to the potato. I photographed lovely Dog Roses but was disappointed that there were no insects on them. I did though find a big Buff-tailed Bumblebee, probably a queen, resting on a nettle leaf. As we left the picnic area, I found a Common Ragwort plant that, unlike many we’d seen, was well in bloom.

Field Forget-me-not	Bramble
Bittersweet	Dog ( Wild ) Rose
Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee	Common Ragwort

On our way back to the car I snapped a Carrion Crow that was foraging below us on the shore. We followed that with sightings of what seemed like a rather elderly Blackbird preening in a tree, followed by another Collared Dove also high in a tree. As we got into the car, a jaunty Jackdaw bounded down the grassy slope to see if we’d left it anything edible - we hadn’t.

Carrion Crow	Blackbird
Collared Dove	Jackdaw

Next we drove over to the car park at the other side of the harbour, just north of Ballast Bank. The sky was darkening, threatening rain and the Sun shone only in short spells. We walked along the wee sandy shore, north of the car park, where we discovered Hoary Cress, Sea Rocket and Sea Sandwort growing along its edges.

Hoary Cress	Sea Rocket
Sea Sandwort...

John alerted me to an incoming pair of Shags that were flying low over the choppy water. A lone Oystercatcher was foraging on the rocks and there were Herring Gulls standing close-by. 

Shag	Oystercatcher
Herring Gull	4th Cycle Herring Gull

I noticed three Black Guillemots  standing on top of the tall harbour wall before they flew off towards the harbour entrance. Once again John signalled to warn of the approach of another Shag. It passed fairly close before landing half way up the harbour wall, joining other Shags that were there. John also spotted a young Eider but sadly it eluded the camera. On our way off of the sandy shore I photographed a trio of wildflowers that were growing on the harbour wall - Bird’sfoot Trefoil, Biting Stonecrop and Buckshorn Plantain.

Black Guillemot	Shag...
	Common Bird's Foot Trefoil
Biting Stonecrop	Buck's Horn Plantain

Lastly we investigated the area around the slipway. Just offshore a lobster fishing boat that was lifting creels was attracting the attentions of a large number of gulls that were undoubtedly after a free meal. A Gannet passed by several times but did not dive for fish. I ventured onto the path along the foot of the Ballast Bank and was rewarded with photos of a Rock Pipit and a young Starling. Also a few Turnstones flew in and, frustratingly, immediately scurried out of sight behind the rocks.

	Gannet
Juvenile Starling	Rock Pipit
Turnstone...

After a few minutes, the Turnstones got bold and gradually re-appeared along the tops of the rocks. As we returned to the car I snapped an inquisitive female House Sparrow that was checking us out and also managed to photograph a passing Oystercatcher just before getting into the car to escape the rain. We popped down the road to the Titchwell car park but birds were scarce, although I did find what seemed to be a wild garden adjacent to more conventional flower beds on the site of the old outdoor bathing pool. There were quite a few wild plants ready to flower, but I settled for a picture of blooming Red Deadnettle and a pretty flower which was obviously an interloper (probably from the nearby bed), Virginia Stock.

Female House Sparrow	Oystercatcher
Red Deadnettle	Virginia Stock

Although the weather turned wet and gloomy towards the end of the trip, I would have to admit that it was a successful outing with 29 species photographed. My favourite birds were the Blackbird, Turnstones and Black Guillemots but since the wildflowers did the “heavy lifting” I’d have to single out the Dog Rose, Sea Sandwort and Biting Stonecrop as shots that pleased me. After Troon we actually drove to Irvine Harbour intending to capture a half dozen or more sightings there before tea and Strawberry Tarts. Sad to say, the rain and three very noisy and selfish jet skiers ruined the calm environment needed for our activities. But nothing spoils our teas and strawberry tarts, so the day ended on a high. Hopefully summer will arrive next week

Week ending: 9th June 2024: Figgate Park ,Portobello

Sunday was to have been cloudy with a chance of showers, especially in the west - so we headed east. With the tides predicted to be low, rather than visiting the coast, I decided that Figgate Park was maybe a better place to accumulate a wide range sightings of birds, flowers, invertebrates and maybe even the odd furry animal. Our first stop though was Dalkeith Morrisons for breakfast (6/10: disappointing; the food was late and cold and still served on tiny plates).

It wasn’t a long drive from Dalkeith to Portobello, to the charming little Figgate Park. At the entrance gate I snapped a furry creature, a Grey Squirrel, clambering away from view as we passed. In the next tree, a Woodpigeon sat motionless and unconcerned by our presence. Just inside the park we found what looked like a Dryad’s Saddle fungus growing high on a dead tree trunk. We walked onto the boardwalk on the east side of the pond where John spotted one of his favourite wild flowers, Meadow Cranesbill, which I photographed along with one of my favourites, Red Campion. We were also pleased to see that White Water Lilies  were in bloom in a small pool between bank and boardwalk.

Grey Squirrel	Wood Pigeon
Dryad's Saddle	Meadow Cranesbill

Red Campion	White Water Lily

 In the next such pool we were delighted to find a family of Canada Geese - 2 adults and four goslings.

A few other people who were watching the geese were getting a bit close for the male and he gestured by a curious nodding action while silently opening his bill. Of course the goslings were unaware of most of the dangers around them and paddled happily, under the watchful eyes of their parents. We turned our attention to the main pond where I noticed a female Mallard and halfa-dozen ducklings paddling towards us through a water surface covered in places with pink pond weed.

Juvenile Canada Goose	Canada Goose
Female Mallard	Juvenile Mallard

The duckling seemed unphased by the weed, in fact they were probably pleased to see it, as they proceeded to eat it.

The Canada Geese we’d watched earlier suddenly appeared from under the boardwalk to join the Mallards. They too started nibbling the floating weed.

Canada Goose...

After a short time the adults lead the goslings across the”open water” towards the island.

A large Lesser Black-backed Gull circled the island, no doubt eyeing up the chicks. As we moved off the boardwalk and along the path by the pond, I noticed Water Forget-Me-Not  plants that were starting to bloom. Then we heard a Wren blasting out such a burst of sound for such a small bird. We quickly spotted it on a branch of a pond-side tree. Next I snapped a shot of an adult Mute Swan tending a solitary cygnet just as we passed the island.

Lesser Black-backed Gull	Water Forget-Me-Not
Wren	Mute Swan

Below is the view across the pond looking towards the island. Note the Yellow Flag Irises, of which there were many around the edges of the pond.

Near the feeding platform, at the opposite side of the pond from the boardwalk, we paused at a patch of Brambles in order to photograph Honey Bees and Early Bumblebees that were feeding there. From the platform I photographed a Herring Gull that was resting on the water.

Bramble	Honey Bee
Early Bumblebee	Herring Gull

A very handsome Woodpigeon posed briefly on an Elderberry bush by the water’s edge while a drake Mallard paddled in to see if we had bread - we hadn’t. We decided to investigate the area along each side of the Figgate Burn. We were rewarded with a nice shot of a singing Robin. I also snapped one of the few Yellow Flag Irises that hadn’t had its petals ravaged by birds or insects.

Wood Pigeon	Drake Mallard
Robin	Yellow Flag Iris

Crossing a bridge over the burn, I noticed the white flowers of Water Crowfoot poking out the the mainly submerged weed.

A More detailed examination of the flower shows it has a yellow centre packed with stamens. Notice the insect feeding on the left-hand flower. John alerted me to the Speckled Wood butterfly that eventually settled on some vegetation, allowing me the opportunity to photograph it. Nearby a Nipplewort plant was beginning to bloom and I found a clump of Ground Elder growing between the roots of a tall tree growing on the banks of the burn. 

River Water Crowfoot	Speckled Wood Butterfly
Nipplewort	Ground Elder

Eventually we passed the feeding platform and beyond there we came upon the same Canada Geese with their goslings - now out of the water pecking the ground searching for scattered seeds. We rested on a park bench, taking in the unexpected sunshine, from where we saw and photographed a wee Blue Tit that was collecting caterpillars, presumably for its hungry nestlings. A lone Hedge Mustard plant caught my eye, as did a twittering Goldfinch stretching its wings high in a pathside tree.

Canada Goose	Juvenile Canada Goose
Blue Tit	Hedge Mustard
Goldfinch...

On our way back to the car we passed a bird feeder that has been fashioned from the wheels and axle of a railway vehicle.

A few Jackdaws had scared the smaller birds, other than a feisty female House Sparrow. We intended watching the feeder for half an hour or so, however a family turned up and parked themselves next to the feeder, so we moved on. Fortunately the park grounds we moved though on our way to the car has been turned into a wild garden where Oxeye Daisies were most prominent. Another Speckled Wood turned up, landing on a leaf back-lit by the Sun. My final couple of shots were of Wood Avens  flower and fruit.

Jackdaw	Female House Sparrow
Oxeye Daisy	Speckled Wood Butterfly
Wood Avens	Wood Avens Fruit

It was a highly enjoyable and successful outing with 28 species photographed. My favourite sightings were the goslings, ducklings and cygnet, as well as the bees and butterflies. The weather was very kind with almost continuous sunshine, light winds and no rain. The predictions for next week are not quite as good - but that could change, couldn’t it.


Week ending: 2nd June 2024: Dunbar Harbour and Barns Ness

The best of the weather in Central Scotland this Sunday was in the east - lengthy sunny spells with negligible chance of rain. John and I headed for Dunbar Harbour, within and around which we expected to see nesting birds such as Kittiwakes and Shags, to name but two. Of course we started the morning with wee breakfasts in Dalkeith Morrisons (9.5/10: excellent, let down only by the ridiculously small plates, so -0.5).

At sun-bathed Dunbar Harbour we parked near the historic Battery ruin. Below is the view from there, looking west. Note the ruin of Dunbar Castle , destroyed in the 1560s 

Every summer the Castle ruin attracts hundreds of breeding Kittiwakes, Fulmars and various gulls, such as Herring Gulls. John and I walked to the harbour mouth in order to view them from relatively close range. On our way across the cobbled harbour there were tiny, but beautiful flowers of Lesser Sea Spurry growing in cracks between cobbles and at the edges of the harbour. At the entrance to the harbour we had fabulous views of the nesting Kittiwakes. They were very lively and very noisy. The incessant cacophony created by the birds’ “kittiwakes-kittiwake” calls was the sound track to our observations.

Lesser Sea Spurry	Kittiwake...

Looking beyond the harbour mouth I was pleased to see several Fulmars flying to and from their nests on the walls of the castle ruin. We also checked the rock stacks east of the harbour. The birds nesting there were mainly Herring Gulls. John noticed a couple of the Rock Pipits, an adult with food and a juvenile, among the massive boulders by the harbour mouth.

Fulmar...
Herring Gull	Rock Pipit

We moved away from the harbour mouth up stairs onto a raised gantry on the Seawall. From there we could observe the birds on and around the rock stacks.

On a quick first scan we noticed several Shags nesting on top of the nearest stack and frequent passes of Herring Gulls and Kittiwakes as they commuted between the nest and feeding waters. Most exciting for me were the arrivals of Shags onto the stack. Rapid and skilful fliers they swoop onto the rugged rock and then waddle awkwardly up the stack to their nests. John spotted a “Sammy”, (as he calls seals); a Grey Seal, about 100m out from the harbour. Soon after that he found a drake Eider stretching his wings.

Shag...	Kittiwake
Herring Gull	Shag....

Grey Seal	Common Eider

After a very pleasant 20 minutes at the seawall we moved back to the Battery  to view the waters of the Firth of Forth from there. Prominent to the west was the Bass Rock. The white areas on the top of the rock are actually the closely packed Gannet colony - not as closely packed as in previous years due to the devastating effect of Bird Flu . 

The rocks that are a mere 200m off the north side of the Battery looked birdless to me but eagleeyed John spotted a Guillemot, however there were no other birds to be seen. Instead I visited the Battery’s small Coastal Garden which showcases several flowering plants that prefer coastal habitats. Thrift, Bladder Campion and Common Scurvygrass were in full bloom, while Balkan Clary  was just starting to flower. Also, I found Buckthorn Plantain growing by the battery wall.

Guillemot	Thrift
Bladder Campion	Common Scurvygrass
Balkan Clary	Buckshorn Plantain

We finished the day at at Barns Ness which is just over 4 miles east of Dunbar Harbour. John spotted a Roe buck that was standing in a field beside the single-track approach road. After parking, we sat for a while at the rocky shore closest to the car park. We were, however, disappointed to find that there were no birds to be seen. Perhaps this was due to the frogman swimming in the bay. We moved to the shore near the lighthouse and, as we sat on our stools, a pair of Linnets landed close to us, before darting away further along the shore. In the area where we were sitting I noticed Purple Milkvetch and Sea Rocket . Also, a Carrion Crow was foraging on the foreshore in front of us and a few Gannets finally turned up fairly close to the shore.

Roe Deer	Linnet
Sea Rocket	Purple Milkvetch
Carrion Crow	Gannet

John’s binoculars picked up a line of Gannets (the white dots) flying westwards low over the water, some hundred meters out,.

We decided to investigate the grassland between the lighthouse and car park as there were bird sounds coming from there. John found a Skylark and then a male Reed Bunting, each sitting atop bushes at the middle of grassy areas. A Small Heath  butterfly fluttered along the grassy path and eventually settled long enough for me to get a quick shot. As we passed in front of the lighthouse we came upon many patches of brilliant yellow Birdsfoot Trefoil flowers. Also peeking through the long grasses were many white flowers of Snow-in-Summer. After I photographed these, John was waiting near the fabulously-named Vipers Bugloss  - tall spikes of blue and red flowers.

Skylark	Reed Bunting
Small Heath Butterfly	Common Bird's-foot Trefoil
Snow In Summer	Viper's Bugloss

We reached the road that connects the lighthouse to the outside world. Below is the view of the lighthouse as seen from the road. 

Then, perhaps the most exciting part of the visit happened. A very accommodating Skylark rose up from the field adjacent to where we were standing; it ascended above us - but not too high. It hovered above us for about half a minute, singing incessantly throughout, before dropping slowly to the grass. It then flew onto a fence post and gave us another mouthful of frenetic birdsong before it flew off. We returned to the car and as we settled on our stools, ready for our teas, I noticed a small beetle (yet to be identified), creeping over John’s trouser leg. I of course snapped it.

Skylark...

INSECTS 1

FLOWERS

BY THE WATER

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