Binevenagh Cliffs

The focus for the second day of my visit to Northern Ireland was to look at the Arctic/Alpine plants on the cliffs at Binevenagh, on the edge of the Antrim Plateau. Here the base rich soils and unstable ground support species including Mossy Campion, Mossy Saxifrage, Purple Saxifrage and Mountain Avens. This is a spectacular spot! The landscape is very similar to the Old Man of Storr area of Skye. The basalt cliffs were once sea cliffs but are now inland, with periglacial conditions causing mass slumping and collapse of the cliff edge. I'll begin with general photos of the walk, which given the glorious weather we have had for the previous couple of weeks, was rather damp and atmospheric! 

A damp start!

Scrambling up to the cliff base.

Lots of opportunities for photography and scrambles.

Plant hunting.

Mossy Campion.

Mossy Saxifrage.

Early Purple Orchids with a view.

More Mossy Campion.

Wheatears.

What a view!

The scree slopes formed during Peri-glacial activity are now mainly vegetated.

An Exmoor pony stands alone - we saw an Irish Hare here.

Sheshkinmore : after the rain

 After lunch we headed for a cave, as it began to rain rather heavily. After it began to ease a little we then headed (scrambled) up onto the headland before descending to the beach and back to the car.  Some spectacular scenery!

The sky delivered...

Sheltering.

Devil's Coach Horse Beetle.

Time to go out...

Roseroot.

Sea Spleenwort.

Thrift.

Waves.

Rockpools....

And a walk back...

And a quick drink on the way back.

Sheshkinmore : Bog Bean

 Bog Bean is one of my favourite plants ...

In the first dune slack all the Bog Bean flowers were underwater!

Fortunately this one was better!

Sheshkinmore: Orchids

One of the main aims of our walk was to try and find the Dense-flowered Orchid. Also known as the Irish Orchid, it is classed as Near Threatened in the Red Data List of Vascular Plants. Its flowers form a dense, cylindrical spike and are small! It actually has a Mediterranean distribution, but has a rather unusual UK distribution - below, with its 'stronghold' being the Burren. 

https://bsbi.org/taxa/2cd4p9h.vyf/neotinea-maculata

Tom and I...

Dense=flowered Orchid....

And the Early Purple Orchids...

And a pale Early Purple Orchid, with one of the many Burnet Moth caterpillars we saw. 

Sheshkinmore: before it rained

The first of last weekend's walks out, whilst in Northern Ireland, with Tom and Natalie, was to Sheskinmore, in Co Donegal This large area was very reminiscent of Islay and  included beach, dunes, dune slacks, craggy 'lumps' and machair. Unsurprisingly this is the first of several blogs for the day, as not only was the flora stunning, the light was too. We keep saying 'you don't get the light without the rain' and my did it rain! So this blog gives an introduction to the day - before it rained!

Primroses in the dunes.

There were lots of Early Purple Orchids...

...and the rare and hard to find, Dense-flowered Orchid. 

Dune slacks...

One of the hilly 'lumps'.

It was nice to see so much Juniper.

...and Mountain Everlasting.

The Willow was certainly pollen-laden!

Dramatic scenery along the coast.

A summit of sorts.

Another area where there were several Dense-flowered Orchids.

The aptly named Bog Bean was perfect.

Then down to the beach...

With rumbles of thunder....

A hasty lunch, keeping an eye on the weather....
Then it rained....