Had a drive down one my favourite glens last Sunday, Glen Lyon.
The weather wasn’t great, but it was still as beautiful, magnificent hills, crisp fresh air, clean clear waters, lush greens and all was peaceful.
The Heather is really starting to show the now and the countryside has an abundance of wild flowers.
I didn’t get many photos, but tried to capture something each time we stopped to let Barclay out, or stopped for me to open gates on a fabulous K Road (Meaning unnamed roads/tracks, which are my favourites & I’ve christened them K Roads, those who have been out with me, will know exactly what I am on about).
Heres a small selection of just some of the flora we saw Karen x
Pretty Purple Heather Beginning To Decorate The Hillsides.
Bell Heather
Bumble Bee on Cross-leaved Heather.
Slender St john’s-wort
The Lichen, Cladonia portentosa Growing At Glen Lyon, Highland Perthshire.
Lesser Spearwort
Wild Thyme Creeping Over Rocks. The favourite flower of Fairies.
Heading back home from Barclays walk this afternoon and something caught my eye, dozens of Caterpillars amongst the Grass and Nettles.
They are, I’m sure, Peacock Caterpillars.
Barclay isn’t one for standing about long, but I just managed a couple of pics & video with the iPhone. Kx
Last year, whilst out walking McBasil, we came across an Orchid, just one, not another in sight.
This year, curiosity got the better of me and I decided that Barclay and I would venture back to that very same spot to see if it had shown again this year.
First visit, there was no sign of it, but, things are about a week – 10 days behind this year compared to last, so we we would take another trip in search of it.
This time we were rewarded for our troubles, there its was!
Now I am not that great on Orchid identification, but giving its colour and location am opting for a Northern Marsh-orchid – Dactylorhiza purpurella. It may look a sturdy wee thing, but it is not, it was just hanging onto its spot and I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to knock/touch it!
It wasn’t that tall either, as you can see from the 2nd image as its measured against me iPhone 6plus (Approx 17cm), the Orchid stands at 12cm.
Last year, it was only around for approx 2 weeks.
Am pleased to have come across this beautiful gem Karen x
Am starting this new Blog Page especially on Nature.
As quoted in the ‘About’ section on my website, “I have always loved Nature, tis how I was brought up & what I was taught from my Parents from when I can first remember. I didn’t really have/enjoy Dolls & such as a child, I had a Jack Russell Terrier given to me when I was four and most of my time was spent outside, I was taught to recognise & identify Birds, Flowers, Trees etc. Next I was taught countryside ways, then taught to Shoot & Fish. The most important lesson I had though, was to respect Nature & the Countryside.”
I did not like School, could barely remember what I was taught from one day to the next, but out in the countryside, been shown and told about things, well I soaked that up like a sponge.
Many a day, I would purposely try to miss the School Bus, just so I could spend time outdoors with my Father.
Missing the Bus did not happen as much as I would have liked, but after a School day, there was often walks with my Mother, along with my Jack Russell, followed by the Cat and then followed by the resident Canada Geese (Including family of Goslings when they had them)!
This love of Nature has never left me.
Am no way an expert, but I love noticing things everyday and am still learning.
I am surrounded by the spectacular Scottish Countryside and a wee library of books and that is pretty much ideal to me.
Am constantly Photographing and capturing Nature, a lot just for my own personal interest.
And the other week, I received a fantastic gift from my Father and that was a Wildlife Trail Camera.
Early days for this Nature Cam, but am already hooked!
This gift, prompted me to finally get this Page up and running and share.
It will be random, with no bells and whistles etc
Could possibly be what I just notice whilst out walking Barclay etc, as it does not matter where you are, some form of Nature will be nearby.