Tuesday 30 June 2009

I was led astray ....

......when I followed the tracks of a small deer on the beach. This took me on a longer walk than usual.




On the way back I found this beauty; a yellow horned poppy which I had walked straight past earlier.
I will go back today to see if there are any more as this was on its own.

I must also check its position as I think it is in the Paston or Bacton parish rather than Mundesley but there is not much in it.


Monday 29 June 2009

Another rose

This one is a vigorous rambler which is beginning to settle and flourish even in our tricky conditions.
He goes by the name of Bobbie James.



The butterfly would appear to be a Meadow Brown; several have turned up at the cliff bottom and this one stayed still long enough for me to take its picture.

While the rest of the country is said to be bathed in warm sunshine we are trying to spot the sea ... the fret is in!

Friday 26 June 2009

There will be raspberries .....

...... for tea.




It is nice to see a sail this close but I was lucky to catch them as they were going at a rate of knots.

Wednesday 24 June 2009

It is the strawberry season...

..... and, enjoying the advantage of living three and half miles from a fruit farm, we will be indulging in picking, eating and preserving.
On the cliff, I saw the webs first. The web leads to the hole where the funnel spider lives.
The giant hogweed by the river is looking very grand but its time has come as I must not let it go to seed. We have far too many of them in this part of the world.


Tuesday 23 June 2009

Back to normal.....

...... and a butterfly in the back garden.


A bramble bush on flower at the bottom of the cliff -- will this mean blackberries with added salt?

A different clover on the beach; it might be the hare`s- foot clover.


Sunday 21 June 2009

At the end of a party....

.... some people have fireworks.
As it was the summer solstice we thought a straw man by the edge of the sea was more our style.
He was standing up to start with, nine foot of magnificent construction, but it was all too much excitement for him so he lay down and burned brightly.


A fitting end to the solstice bash, much enjoyed by all.

Friday 19 June 2009

The alpine meadows.....

....... of the cliff face.
I know you will have to blow them up but this is long-distance flower spotting.
The orange ones are fox-and-cubs and there are a lot of them.
The other one is the common purple orchid, of which there are a great many.



If I were a mountain goat we could all see more but as I have no head for heights or any crampons this is the best I can do.

Wednesday 17 June 2009

The unexpected.......

...... is always possible.
This is the time to find orchids and my cliff-bottom is not the most promising area for them but there they were.
The bee orchid is on its own, right on the beach, growing in turf that has slid down the cliff. There could be more further up but I cannot see any.
The small purple one is growing further up and I have spotted several more of them. Will have to check its name with Tony.

Saturday 13 June 2009

A fine thistle..........


.... which will be in full flower in the next few days.

The poppy has to be a garden escape and this is the first one, of a small group, to flower.





I was not sure about posting this last photo, but it is a sad but rare event.

This is a Harbour Porpoise, which are quite common in the North Sea.
At first thought it was a baby but it is an adult, about 3ft long.
It was already dead so could not have been helped.

A very beautiful creature nonetheless.

Wednesday 10 June 2009

The greater broomrape....


.... a strange plant and a very rare one.
I was invited to see this one, nearly on my home patch, which was an honour.
I know it is not the most beautiful of flowers but I was thrilled to see it.
It makes my common broomrape quite a small thing but it has its place.
We are all looking for the purple broomrape now, so watch this space.

Sunday 7 June 2009

The glass is half full ......


...... and here we have the first picking of broad beans from the tub in the yard.
Oh bliss! Oh joy! Nothing tastes better than this, worth the waiting and the watering.
The seeds were planted in the autumn and I worried about them through the winter and cared about them in the spring and now I have had my reward.

Friday 5 June 2009

My first poppy ......

            ...... on the cliff, a bright splash of colour.
           







  Tracks in the sand;   at first I had no idea what could have made them then I found the caterpillar.
 He/she did not look that happy as the sand is very dry, but may have found somewhere to pupate.
 I hope so.


Thursday 4 June 2009

One of the little plants ...


                                                                                                                                                            .... a pearlwort, I think. I have done a count of the number of plants so far and I have reached 40 .
 A small bumble bee is on the Johnson`s Blue geranium in the back garden. The bees have been very busy on these flowers in the June sunshine.

Wednesday 3 June 2009

View of the cliff.....


..... in two parts;  this is my morning walk. 

I show it in two parts as it has a curve so it is not all visible in one shot. 
It does not look very exciting but the number of different plants  I am finding is still going up.
I really must do a count.  
                                                            Many of the smaller ones do not make glamorous photos.

Tuesday 2 June 2009

The broomrape ..........



  ...... is in flower;  it is the common broomrape but a nice find.
 The grasses are coming, sorry about that, they are part of the flora so they have to be included.
 I am using a new method so I can see them clearly in the photo. I put a board behind them to cut out the background; I think it is working.
 The yellow iris is by the river with the butterbur leaves in the back ground.

Monday 1 June 2009

Something strange .......


..... is growing on my patch. 


                  



  I think it is a broomrape. I took this photo yesterday so will up-date later as these plants grow rather fast.


 The painted ladies are everywhere, I am told this a bumper year for them.