Banded demoiselles on Bassenthwaite

On the way back from Sale Fell we stopped off for a paddle and to see these beauties flapping around in the sun.

From Ouse Bridge looking down Bassenthwaite. 

Banded Demoiselle.

Sale Fell

A prompt start and a great little walk. Not far, not particularly high (359m), just thoroughly pleasant and seriously good views down Bassenthwaite to Keswick and Derwent water. We parked on the obvious wider verge opposite the footpath before you get to St Margaret's church when coming from the Pheasant Inn side. We took the circular path and stopped off at the Pheasant for a drink afterwards - very nice too!

St Margaret's Church near Wythop ...a slight detour off the track.

Superb views.......

Foxglove; mountain pansy and harebell, but most spectacular of all, in the light, were the grass flowers!

Panoramas...

Water soluble wax crayon sketches.

I've had these for a couple of years now and never really tried them, so I took them up to Headend quarry this afternoon.  I think I quite like them ....for the flower pics - not necessarily for landscapes, but time to experiment - and remember not to leave them out in direct sunlight in this heat!

Headend Quarry, Sandale.

A lovely hour sketching in the quarry ...splendid flowers and plenty of butterflies (ringlet, meadow brown and common blue).

Lady's bedstraw; burnet moths; common spotted orchid; ox-eye daisy; twayblade; cocksfoot; small scabious and fragrant orchids.

Carrock Fell.

Despite the heat, a quick wander on the path that skirts the summit of High Pike and then onto Carrock Fell. Down a really gentle path from just by the Drygill shales and back to the car.

Fell ponies 

Swaledales

Views...........

Kenfig dunes NNR - orchids.

Tom had a glorious afternoon, last Thursday, at Kenfig NNR, just outside Bridgend.

A wide range of orchids including; pyramidal; fragrant; common-spotted; early marsh sub species coccinea and the rarer white form; marsh helleborine and probably some hybrids! 

Marsh helleborines ...in substantial numbers - hundreds! 

Brown argus.

Mountain Ringlets in Cumbria.

A walk up Kidsty Pike which is one of the classic sites for the mountain ringlet. Their main food plant is believed to be Mat grass - Nardus stricta and they like open mountain grassland that is dominated by Nardus with heath bedstraw. There may also be an association with sheep's-fescue - Festuca ovina. In the Lake District it occurs between 500 and 700m. The flight period varies between years but is generally thought to be the third week of June - third week in July. The butterfly itself is very active in sunny weather and the ones we saw rarely settled making photography challenging to say the least!

Mountain ringlets - there were between 20 and 30 on the wing on the ridge up to the top of Kidsty Pike. 

Patterns in the beck - and a trout ....a welcome paddle for the dog in the heat! 

Kidsty Pike, Cumbria

We parked at the carpark at the head of Haweswater and then walked around the lake and up the path to the summit of Kidsty Pike. A steep ascent and we descended the same way as I spent too much time photographing and painting a field sketch, to allow a circular walk. The bog asphodel was superb as was the cotton grass. Splendid views all round - it's a privilege to live so close that we can do this as a day trip. The main purpose of the walk though was to see the mountain ringlet butterfly ...see the next blog!

Views, geese, bog asphodel and a common blue  - we also saw a dark green fritillary fly past at high speed! 

General views and an antler fro the Mardale herd. 

Haweswater is beginning to drop exposing more field boundaries.

Field sketching with Rocky.

Roadside verges - insects- North Cumbria.

Following the previous blog - a walk from the house - which focussed on the flowers, there were also a lot of insects. Time to do some research into flies and hoverflies me thinks!

The first ringlets of the season have appeared! 

Roadside verges - North Cumbria

A quick walkout from home - the verges are progressing so quickly. Sadly, many of what I would call mid summer plants are flowering...

Our verges ....

Ox-eye daisies; honeysuckle; foxglove; dog rose; ragged robin; a bramble species and greater burnet.

Common spotted orchid; meadowsweet; hay rattle; dog rose and ox-eye daisy.

and sadly the litter I collected on the way!

Woolfest 2018

A great morning at Woolfest in Cockermouth. Lovely to see so many sheep!

and my favourite ...the Hebridean.

Binsey, near Ireby.

A quick afternoon walk up Binsey. Great views as always.

Top: panorama from the summit of Binsey over Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite.
Left hand side: foxgloves with Bassenthwaite and below Overwater.
Right hand side: Rocky and heath bedstraw.
Bottom: panorama of Overwater and Skiddaw. 

Common green grasshopper. 

Spiders and bees at Finglandrigg

Whilst photographing fritillaries I happened to notice a web of spiderlings. On closer inspection the female appeared - well camouflaged and very feisty! It seems that she is a nurse web spider, the name is appropriate, Pisaurus mirabilis, presumably under recorded looking at the NBN atlas!

I was then photographing the marsh cinquefoil, one of my favourites, when I noticed the bees. 

Top: early bumblebee - Bombus pratorum and bottom : tree bumblebee Bombus hypnorum.

Fritillary butterflies at Finglandrigg, North Cumbria

Following yesterday's blog, here are some more photos - as I said the weather was cool, so although there weren't lots flying it made it a bit easier to photograph them.

Marsh fritillaries.......

Small pearl-bordered fritillary ....just the one. 

Finglandrigg NNR - seems like summer

Although it wasn't especially warm (15 degrees) the butterflies were out. Not many - but lovely to see marsh fritillaries, a fresh small pearl-bordered fritillary, large skipper and the first meadow browns of the year. Plenty of heath spotted orchids too. Just a very pleasant walk, with the cooler weather helping with butterfly photography. More detailed blogs will follow!

Heath spotted orchids, ragged robin, honeysuckle climbing high up into the trees and a buzzard.

Marsh fritillaries, small pearl-bordered fritillary, a tree bumble bee, large skipper
 and a rather defensive spider with her hatching spiderlings. 

Hesket Newmarket prints....

So pleased that the village shop in Hesket Newmarket has sold out of my cards...two views of the village. My framed prints of the village are awaiting collection and will be soon up in the shop too.....as will a range of my paintings.

The two prints - cards of the same view are:

Orchids and flora - Swansea's coast.

As promised in the previous blog - the flora!

Pyramidal orchids 

Bee orchids 

More bee orchids! 

Wild strawberry; greater knapweed and centaury.

An epic coastal walk - Swansea

A great walk out, in very hot weather from Horton - Oxwich - Nicholaston - Pennard - Park Mill. Fantastic flora, fauna and views! The flora photos will follow......

Top left : Three cliffs and top right: Nicholaston looking east.
Bottom left: Oxwich Bay and right: Oxwich burrows 

Lime kilns - left at Oxwich and right at Penmaen.

Top left: sharp tailed bee sp and top right: early mining bee.
Bottom left: long horned bee ( a difficult one to photo!) and right: a bumble bee mimic.

Small blue; brown argus; ermine moth caterpillar webs and large skipper.