Coverack to Lowland Point - a coastal walk.

After leaving home at 3am we had a good run down to the southwest, arriving on the Lizard just after midday. We emptied the car and then straight out onto the coastal footpath. We started at Coverack and simply followed the path - which was, it had to be said, a tad muddy! -plenty of water running off the land. The highlights were: the abandoned fields - with remnant daffodils and full of primroses; a young adder sunning itself; an Iceland gull; glorious waves in the sun and Roskilly's gooseberry ice cream! The geology in the beach is complicated and will deserve another look, so today's photographs are of pretty pebbles!

Bottom left is a dolphin skull.......

Mussel fossils.............

A quick walk down to the Pennine lower coal measures exposures near us. Some good examples which we think are possibly Carbonicola.

The site ......

Fossils in situ............

Fossil details ..........

Tom's graphic representation of the mussels from the bottom left photograph above. 

Celandine ball

The celandines are just coming into flower in our hedgerows in north Cumbria. I hadn't anticipated doing a felt ball today but here it is. The lesson to learn is to have some pre-prepared balls - coated in a 'general green felt' that are ready to embellish - which I had, so this little project was completed in an afternoon and I could get straight into the fun bit! Now to find a good bank of celandines to photograph the ball in...and pre-prepare some more!

Fossil plant finds from the middle coal measures - North Cumbria

A good day exploring the local beck with some tremendous finds.

Seat earth containing Stigmaria rootlets.

Neuropteris gigantea leaves - a seed fern.

Calamites suckowi stem fragments - a horsetail.

More Calamites suckowi.

Alethopteris ...another seed fern. 

Port Charlotte, Islay - cards.

The small prints have now been hand-coloured and made into cards. I'm now thinking of doing a series of all the Islay lighthouses....

Clear waters in the Liza at Char Dub.

When walking around Ennerdale Water I couldn't resist the temptation, in the sunshine, to play with the speed setting and try and get some photos of the lovely clear water.

Round Ennerdale Water walk.

A glorious spring-like day - so different from last weekend when snow showers were piling down Crummock Water and the spray from waves was freezing on the vegetation! Today we settled for a walk around Ennerdale. Good to see pearl mussels in the river Ehen at the northwestern end of the lake. Superb views and it was warm in the sunshine!

Glorious views........

Merganser, Herdwick and hoof fungus .......

Looking across Ennerdale to the haematite mines and bits of slag - with high iron content found on the path,

Coltsfoot in the sun!