Hesket Newmarket Show 2017

Another fabulous show - the weather was superb and there was a good turn out.

Autumnal moths

After a long spell of unpredictable weather we finally had a night where we could put the moth trap out. Seventeen species the highlights were the canary-shouldered thorn, a large number of centre-barred sallows and the wide range of yellow underwing species.

Canary-shouldered thorn 

Centre-barred sallows

Lempke's gold spot

Rosy rustics 

Finglandrigg fungi ...

...and there were plenty. Great to see a purple hairstreak too - albeit a bit pecked!

Left hand column: black bulgar; birch polypore; candle snuff; blusher; ...and ?
Middle: black bulgar; an earth fan type thing!; scaly earthball ? ..a cup thing? and something looking nicely lit!
Right: pestle puff ball; hoof fungus; a bracket fungus and amethyst deceivers. 

Purple hairstreak. 

Colours of autumn : bog ashodel, ling and dwarf gorse. 

The first herdwick hank....

Tom has been experimenting with his Turkish drop-spindle - not bad for his second attempt at a hank!

The herdwick hank ....approximately 70g.

Detail ...

Fluffy stuff ...cotton grass and yarn!

Great yellow bumble bee felt

Following our visit to Orkney - here's an interpretation of a gorgeous patch of bog asphodel, hawkbit and devil's bit scabious...with great yellow bumble bees. It's a mixture of wet and needle-felting.

Wood vetch at Parton

An enjoyable walk from Parton to Whitehaven and good to see some wood vetch (Vicia sylvatica), which is currently in decline,  by the path.

Parton towards Whitehaven.

Wood vetch 

Whitehaven 

Whitehaven marina

A rare watercolour ...

It isn't often I do a watercolour, but to be fair I really enjoyed doing this one. Why? I did a 'field sketch' first, of our nasturtiums and then I used decent paper and bothered to stretch it - lesson learned!