Of Bees and Brooms

A break from gardening to go to Workington Slag Banks (sounds salubrious!) and Maryport harbour. Both sites are good for orchids at this time of year and Maryport is home to the Small Blue Butterfly. While there were plenty of orchids, we may have been a little late for them to be at their best and many were wind burnt. We also managed a couple of Small Blues, at Workington but none at Maryport where there wasn't as much Kidney Vetch, their food plant, in flower, as there has been in previous years. The weather has also been pretty rough recently, if you are a butterfly. Good to see though! 

Bees ...albeit a bit scorched by the wind...

Small Blue...

Viper's Bugloss and Kidney Vetch at the Slag Banks. 

Bloody Crane's-bill at Maryport.

Common Spotted, Northern Marsh and Pyramidal Orchids at Maryport - all showing signs of stress.

And the Purple Broomrapes ...

Home...

Despite being away so much we are managing to, just about, stay on top of the garden...if you ignore the weeds! The fruit garden is another matter, but the greenhouses are looking good. 

We have many Sweet Williams - which I grew from seed last year. We have many foxgloves too..

Looking into the veg patch.

French and Runner Beans with much Rhubarb behind.

The yellow poppies and Turk's Cap Lilies are going over as is the Columbine.

Broad Beans are in flower.

Plenty of Alliums.

Plenty of Dagmar's roses to come.

Sweet Williams.

Astrantias are just opening.

The garlic is nearly ready to harvest and the onions and leeks are actually looking good.

Pots on the patio are looking good.

Colourful Geranium foliage.

The Auriculas in the tubs are looking really healthy. 

Back home

A very quick nip into Latterbarrow, which is always so pretty at this time of year! 

Ox-eye Daisies at their best...

Good numbers of Common Spotted-orchids and Greater Butterfly-orchids.

Greater Butterflies....

More Ox-eye Daisies...

Small Skipper.

Northern Brown Argus.

Common Spotted-orchids and a Fragrant Orchid. 

Common Rockrose.

And more Ox-eye Daisies! 

The last day

Sadly, the last day. So a quieter day before heading home. A good view of an otter swimming and diving in a lochan, a Cowrie hunt on the beach, a coffee and brownie in Lochmaddy and a couple of Short-eared Owl flypasts....

Shell Bay, South Uist.

Living up to it's name.

Cowries.

And of course there were Mountain Pansies.

My favourite bit of bog, beside committee road....

And more Bog Bean.

Hosta Beach

Well I'd forgotten how nice this walk is! As we set off I recalled taking a lot of photos of waves, last time we were here. Not a lot changes there then - although I did try to restrain myself. The highlight was the Otter - swimming in really rough water before hauling out onto the rocks beneath us. 

There's really quite a strong under-tow here looking at the profile of the beach, the way the waves bounce back and the turbidity of the water at the edge. 

Pounding the shore...

Just the best rocks! 

 Lewisian Gneiss with Igneous dykes.

And the stripes continue along the coast.

Dramatic light and scenery.

Fulmars.

Some nice folded rocks, if you zoom in.

An arch...

And swimming in front of the arch, in a substantial swell; an Otter peering up at us!

Which clambered out...

Before disappearing.

And on the way back - the blow hole.