Strathfillan

Scotch Argus...Glencoe

Yellow Saxifrage...Strathfillan

Bog asphodel and Bog Myrtle...Strathfillan

Mountain Sorrel...Ben Challum

Starry Saxifrage...Ben Nevis

Parsley fern...Ben Nevis

The bairns on top of the Big Yin!

Snow in summer

Amber approaching the summit of Ben Challum

Lemon scented Fern...Strathfillan

I've been in Scotland for a while stopping at Strathfillan between Crianlarich and Tyndrum and a few days visiting relatives in West lothian. Plenty of new plants and a chance to catch up with a few alpines on the mountain tops. The best plants were the saxifrages with Alpine, Highland, Starry, Drooping and Yellow quite easy to find. Also caught up with some new ferns.

A walk up Ben nevis was quite an experience and although I prefer to have the hills to myself you have no chance on Nevis. As Thursday was a beautiful day thousands of people had the same idea. There were charity walkers, some kilted, some overdressed, some underdressed (some dangerously as the temperature was 17 degrees at the bottom and 2 degrees on the top)! there were hard living Glaswegians swearing and smoking their way up and resting with a wee dram, a Japanese couple in their eighties and a blind man being guided up. Despite this it was an enjoyable climb but very strenuous in places and some snow near the summit.

Ben nevis is a good mountain for plants as it is rocky and has some good wet ledges where you can find some Alpines as well as Tunbridge and Wilson's filmy ferns. The views are memorable from the higher altitudes with Loch linnhe broadening out to the sea with Lismore and Mull in the distance.

I missed out on a good photo opportunity when I left the camera in the log cabin and went to Oban and came across 15 Black Guillemots close in at the North pier and an Osprey fishing next to the Connel bridge.

Another monroe was Ben Challum which was a harder climb than Ben Nevis with some steep and boggy areas as well as a narrow ridge to negotiate before the final push to the summit. Once on the top it offers one of the finest views in Scotland. Like many mountains the steep descent is harder than the climb up.

Monsoon time

Adult Goldcrest...Abbey woods

Swollen Wansbeck upstream from Oldgate

River bursts its banks at Oldgate

Some kind of Hoof fungus or ganoderma on Beech...Scotch Gill

Giant Bellflower...Scotch Gill

Hard fern...Scotch Gill

Lady fern...Mitford castle

It is becomming an annual event these days, heavy rain all day swells the river Wansbeck and easily spills over onto the surrounding paths and some streets but nowhere near as bad as last September. River still swollen this morning and took some pictures of plants and ferns. The top pic of a Goldcrest; this bird was feeding fledged young and it makes you wonder how this family survived yesterdays deluge.

Harwood and Steng moss

Any Lichen experts out there?...Cladomia sp

The pink mist of Wavy hair grass

Yesterday was warm and sunny so I had a walk around Harwood forest and over Steng moss. This was my first opportunity for a while to catch up with Large heath. I knew I would see one because after a couple of shots the camera batteries went dead. In fact there were plenty of other photo opportunities missed by the time I got back to the car. I only saw 2 Large heaths and one of them was very worn, one Dark green fritilary, several Small heaths and the commonest butterfly in Northumberland at the moment....Ringlet; without exaggeration numbers over Steng moss must have been 500+. Lots of unidentifiable micro moths and some kind of Carpet moth was kicked out of the grass.

Walking through Steng moss is not a pleasant experience. I covered about a mile but it was like walking six and with every step you were ankle deep in water. I was also eaten alive with Horse flies and over the next few days I'll be picking sheep ticks off Bennyboy.

Other wildlife seen were Stonechats feeding fledged young; possibly a second or third brood, the male looked stunning. Buzzard and it was nice to see some Crossbills. There were several calling in the forest and 16 flew over Steng moss towards Harry's wood. I also came across hundreds of Peacock caterpillars on a nettle patch and several spikes of Bog asphodel.

Late post

Meadow waxcap...Abbey meadows

Russula sp...possibly cyanoxantha...Borough woods

Hairy bindweed...Ulgham grange

Peacock caterpillar...Pegswood moor

Strange beastie on Valerian...Borough woods

Bitter bolete...Cottingwood

I haven't been away anywhere but with personal committments and shift work I have been left with very little time. Some of the above pics are from the last couple of weeks. The Russula fungi group are difficult to identify at the best of times but I believe it is russula cyanoxantha or Charcoal burner but a more olive colour.

Meldon

Meadow Cranesbill

Catsear and Great Burnet

The remains of an old platelayers cabin on the old Wanney line

My first day off for a while and it isn't raining! Biked to Meldon in search of the Nightingale. I didn't expect any decent views but it is a few years since I heard a one sing. It didn't disappoint; I forget how loud they are but the song is quite memorable. The bird was singing along the old Wanney line between Meldon lane and Howlett hall. Lots of ringlet butterflies along the track and Painted lady and my first Small skipper of the year. Two Redstarts were at the bridge, both males, one feeding young in an Oak tree and the other feeding fledged young nearby. Further along at one of the Meldon railway bridges another male Redstart carrying food and alarming. On the way back I heard young birds calling from a hole in a dead tree at Molesdon, I waited a while expecting possibly a Tree sparrow but yet another male redstart appeared carrying food into the nesthole. Four adult Redstarts within a mile plus Yellowhammers in double figures and 9 Buzzards, all of these I would have missed if I had used the car. Unfortunately I don't have the camera equipment for quality bird shots so the above will have to do.

Upper Coquetdale

River Coquet at Windyhaugh

Blood drop emlets...Rowhope burn

Thread leaved Water crowfoot...Coquet at Barrowburn

I don't visit this area enough. Some fine hay meadows add plenty of colour to the valley floor above Alwinton. We walked about 8 miles from Barrowburn up the Rowhope burn and up to the Border ridge, over Windy ghyle and Mozie law and back to barrowburn via the street; couldn't have picked a better day for it. Lots of birds such as Common sandpiper, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Golden plover on the tops. Up the Rowhope plenty of Wheatear, Whinchat and Buzzards. At Windy ghyle and Mozie law there were 3 Ravens. Many Small heaths on the wing.

On the home front I have seen 2 Grey squirrels in the Borough woods. I have been listening for Quail at Tranwell but no sign. On the Pont at Kirkley mill there is a fine show of Thread leaved water crowfoot. The above pic was taken today at Barrowburn but according to Swan it is found at both these sites. On monday there was a male Redstart at Mitford church but no Green woodpeckers this week but I did see a Cuckoo on Longhorsley common.

Whiskershiel

Cranberry...Steng moss

Green spleenwort...Whiskershiel

Cropped pic of a damselfly sp

Butterwort

The Mill burn flows from Steng moss and cascades down an outcrop of limestone down a narrow and steep valley on the edge of Harwood forest. This is a wonderful spot and a great place for plants. There are hundreds of Butterwort in flower at the moment, Marsh valerian and early marsh orchid to name a few. The best plant is Green spleenwort. It has a north and western distribution such as the Lake district and west scotland but is rare in Nortumberland but survives at this site. The other plant I came across on Steng moss was Cranberry which has a delightful delicate flower. Birds in the area were 9 Buzzards, 2 Raven and Siskin were feeding fledged young. A distant Green woodpecker was calling from the forest. I have included a pic of a Damselfly species at Whiskershiel; I cannot get sharp shots of insects but I'm sure Stewart will still be able to identify it.