..and now for the orchids...the first photograph shows hybrid vigour ..probably Northern Marsh Orchid and Common Spottted Orchid - the rest are Heath-spotted Orchids. The last orchid photograph may be hybrid or just very vigorous as growing in a damp area. Then there are a couple of photos of the meadow, because I like Ragged Robin!
A rather splendid walk aroud Finglandrigg Wood....first the Marsh Fritillaries.
We haven't been down to Drumburgh for a while - so a short meander round the trail; thankfully the track to the reserve has been re-graded! Cuckoos calling and plenty of large caterpillars for them to scoff!
 |
| View from the hide.... |
 |
| Zooming in. |
 |
| Oak Eggar. |
 |
| Oak Eggar. |
 |
| Drinker. |
 |
| Drinker. |
 |
| Round-leaved Sundew. |
 |
| More Cotton-grass. |
A quick and delightful stop off at Bowness Railings, where it was high tide and there were plenty of birds on the forshore.... lots of Ringed Plover, Dunlin with their black bellies and the slightly larger and brighter white bellied Sanderling - and a couple of beautifully coloured Turnstone. Amazing camouflage! ...and then a beautiful Sparrowhawk on its kill.
Wow, what a difference a couple of weeks make! Wedholme has changed completely while we have been away as the Bracken and grass in the woodland has shot ; the Cotton-grass bloomed....
 |
| Four-spot Chaser. |
 |
| A red damselfly. |
 |
| ..and a blue... |
 |
| Common Heath ; moth. |
 |
| Round-leaved Sundew. |
 |
| Little Stint. |
 |
| ..and more Cotton-grass. |
Our final stop of our flying visit to South Cumbria was Latterbarrow - where the Fly Orchids were at their best ...in amongst a sea of Columbine - it still amazes me that this is a native wildflower.
 |
| Columbine and Pignut. |
 |
| Columbine. |
 |
| Fly Orchid...and below. |
 |
| Greater Butterfly Orchid..and below. |
After Leighton Moss a walk round Foulshaw Moss. The highlights should have been the Ospreys ...we saw 3 different ones - the resident pair and an interloper....but they were trumped by the obliging White-faced Darters, which in turn were trumped by a pair of Merlin ....
Many thanks to the Cumbria Wildlife Trust volunteers for manning the viewing station for the Ospreys and for alerting us to the Hobbies.
 |
| Looking across to Whitbarrow. |
 |
| The 'wetting up' moss. |
 |
| The 'interloper' possibly pulling at and eating a fish ... |
 |
| White-faced Darters... |
 |
| Marsh Cinquefoil. |
 |
| Lizard. |
 |
| A splendid stand of Bogbean. |
 |
| Reed Bunting. |
