Bowscale Fell - the view from..

An oil - 50 cm x 50 cm 

Ammonite ball returns home!

Following my post on 2nd June ...I have a very kind friend that took my ammonite ball down to the south coast and it's spiritual home!

Summer moths - finally!

With 23 species of moth may be summer has arrived!

Garden tiger;beautiful golden y; elephant hawkmoth; small phoenix; willow beauty; hart and dart; 

flame shoulder;small magpie and a pair of white ermines, one of which has morphed dots.

Woolfest 2015 - Cockermouth.

A great afternoon - loved the sheep and rabbits!

Silk painting hangings - Turk's cap lily and poppies.

I haven't done one of these for ages - thoroughly enjoyable - time to complete a third?

Killinallen and Jura ...then home.

Well the boys are back and here are their last two days - can't wait until I'm up there in August!

Killinallan - swallow, curlew, sedge warbler and golden eagle...and a heap of antlers! 

Jura - song thrush; emerging hawker; fox moth; yellow hammer; 'comic'tern; oystercatcher chick;
 red deer; froglet and green tiger beetle.

Silloth dunes.

Meanwhile, back in a cold, damp and windy Cumbria - tried to find a sheltered walk with flowers to photo - found the flowers but not the shelter so not ideal photographic conditions! Rocky enjoyed himself though - plenty of rabbit holes!

Kintra to Soldier Rock.

Lovely to see the seabirds - a touch damp underfoot though!

Proaig to Mac Arthur's Head - fabulous Islay otters.

Killinallen

A long walk to bring back some heavy buoys. They look great when they're lacquered and carefully positioned in the flower bed!

Ardnave Point - Islay

A family favourite:

Sanaigmore to Traigh Bhan to the 'opera house' and back.

Another glorious day on Islay! Lovely to see the nesting birds....and the thrift was at its best. 

Portnahaven- Lossit- Octofad - Nerabus and back to Portnahaven.

Another splendid walk!

Picos de Europa - in the garden.

Meanwhile, back at home the asphodels, house leeks in a Picos roof tile and turk's cap lilies flourish.

Bolsa and beyond!

Making the most of the weather.....as always a fabulous walk up Bolsa and more beach-combing!

Portnahaven - post GCSE celebrations.

Well Steve and Tom are up on Islay again. Looks like they have had the best of the sunshine!

Top two pics - Portnahaven; then marsh fritillary; narrow-boardered bee-hawk moth;black guillemot and
Manx shearwaters (from the ferry). 

Finglandrigg NNR

Despite the best attempts of the weather we managed some photos! It was cool and cloudy, but the orchids were splendid and at least we - well mum- found a marsh fritillary.

Buttercup meadows: Exmoor ponies; common frog;bumble bee; red squirrel - gnawed cones;
 hay-rattle; drinker moth caterpillar ...and Rocky! 

Carpets of orchids.

First Gold Swift

The first gold swift of the year - beautifully fresh in the warm sunny evening light. Looking forward to seeing our small, but thriving, population lekking ( pre-mating courtship dance based on pineapple scented pheromones). This was a male - not yet active as there were no females out yet.

Summer is coming....moth-wise.

Last night we had 15 species of moth compared to 29 last year, because of the cold spring...
but at least we're getting there!

Poplar hawkmoth; a pair of Brimstones; lesser swallow prominent
 and a beautifully fresh angle shades. 

Sweep Netting

Tom took advantage of the gorgeous weather today and went sweep-netting along our roadside verge. What a lovely selection of species!

Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester.

Lovely to see this superb building renovated and open to the public - free of charge. Fantastic pieces of Liberty woven fabrics; many Ruskin and Turner watercolours; Bridget Riley op art; Lucien Freud portraits and Graham Sutherland watercolours...a good day out - didn't spend too long there as we had to stock up with naan breads and spices - not to mention squashing Molly and all her stuff into the car.

Lucian Freud; Peter Blake and William Morris.

Carn Llidi, Pembrokeshire - Graham Sutherland. 

May bug in the moth trap.

Despite the generally cold, windy weather, we managed to moth trap last night....not looking good for tonight though! Highlights were the lesser swallow prominent and the may bug.

Lesser swallow prominent; brimstone; buff ermine; pebble prominent and water carpet. 

May bug or cockchafer

Levant Mine sketch

Enjoyed this mixed-media sketch ...had hoped to do one of Wedholme flow in this style today ...but time somehow disappeared! Maybe tomorrow?

Felted ammonite balls

 Following on in my line of different felted balls - here is one based on ammonites - I'll need to get it down to the south west though to get it photographed in situ - now there's an excuse for a holiday!