Parton to Whitehaven coastal walk

We had hoped to go to the Central Lakes walking today, but the forecast of rain, thunder and lightning made us opt for a coastal walk, after having picked up my remaining paintings, cards and oils from Allonby Art Ex. We first walked along the beach at Parton, while the weather distinctly picked up, before walking to Whitehaven. Only a short walk, but plenty to see and find. ...and then a rather hasty return as the thunder rolled in and the skies darkened.

Towards Whitehaven from Parton.

Rhizostome jellyfish; young raven; sea holly and pebbles.

Painted ladies in abundance again. 

The Isle of Man.

Pebbles as the waves were about to come in. 

Fabulous flora and a Late Carboniferous exposure capped by the Whitehaven Sandstone Formation...home to a variety of fossil flora - over 30 species have been recorded ...access was interesting! 

Both Early and Late Carboniferous fossils: stigamaria, calamites, crinoids,
seed fern leaves and colonial coral.

Whitehaven harbour.

Looking back at the thunder showers following us up the coast. 

Carrock Fell bog orchids

A re-visit to Carrock Fell to see how the bog orchid is coming on....   The site is a lot boggier after the recent thundery downpours, but more spikes were evident this time. For the previous visit Click here.

The site.

The orchid ....

Close ups ..........

Silloth dunes - butterflies

A hot meander around the dunes behind west beach at Silloth yielded 14 species of butterfly. Literally hundreds of painted lady butterflies - especially on the sea stock on the foreshore.

More fused glass work ... with RD Glass

Another lovely morning with Roxy of RD Glass....  This time I worked on refining the method for my mussel bowl.  The first one I made had air bubbles which was great as they reflected the watery subject matter, but one grew rather alarmingly and had to be drilled into inclase it 'popped'. This time I used kiln paper underneath; cut into mussel shapes to give relief; then a sheet of plain glass onto which I put the wires and powders; then another layer of plain glass and finally I added cut glass and frit. This was so much easier than last time as I could go back and modify underlying layers and it should have reduced the large bubble problem ...it'll be interesting to see what happens when it's fired! I also made an ammonite inspired opaque glass bowl...  Tom concentrated on using powders to create stromatolite coasters! Now to wait for them to be fired.

Experimenting with leaves in glass...which hopefully will burn away but leave an impression...

My mussel bowl...

My ammonite bowl ...

Tom's stromatolites...

Red throated diver -abstract.

Boltongate art group

Although this art group does a lot more than just pots - they are good! ...and I'm looking forward to the next sessions in September.

Piers Gill flora

While walking back down the corridor route from Scafell Pike yesterday we stopped off briefly at the top of Piers Gill...some lovely plants which demand more time. We need to do some research on good alpine plant sites and learn some new species.

Polytrichum.

Fir clubmoss

Yellow saxifrage

Goldenrod.

Roseroot.

Parsley fern.

Starry saxifrage.

Scafell Pike from Borrowdale

A long hot walk yesterday. Thankfully the morning was coolish with the cloud, as predicted, lifting mid morning. We parked up at Seathwaite and then up to Styhead tarn. Piers Gill had it's head in the cloud and cloud swirled around the tops with hints of blue sky beginning to appear. Then along the corridor route and up between Scafell Pike and Broad crag - a good scramble. After that we returned down the main track to Lingmell Col, a quick nip up Lingmell and back down the corridor route, in the heat of the mid afternoon, to Styhead and Borrowdale. Back at the car the air temperature was in the high twenties ...no wonder it had felt a tad warm!

Looking back down to Borrowdale; across to Piers Gill and Rocky.

View from scrambling up under Dropping Crag; across to Lingmell; Dropping Crag and Great Gable. 

Scafell Pike summit across to Broad Crag and Great End ; looking down Wastwater  and Rocky at the trig point and asleep at the top!

Lingmell Summit with Great Gable: Scafell and Rocky - trying to keep him cool.

Back down to Stockley Bridge and Seathwaite. 

Latterbarrow - a spectacle of colour

After Foulshaw the other morning, we popped in at Latterbarrow which was a riot of colour - dominated by betony, harebells, thyme, lady's bedstraw, field scabious and meadowsweet.

....and a peacock butterfly. 

Foulshaw Moss reserve...

After visiting Hutton Roof Crags yesterday we moved onto a quick stop at Foulshaw Moss.............

Views and white-beaked sedge and yellow loosestrife.

Blue-tailed damselfly; large skipper; common lizard and common darter.

more lizards....

Red admiral on hemp agrimony...and below.