rock pipits

a pair of rock pipits (I think) flirting in a meadow full of spring squill and kidney vetch. And below showing off.

scurvy grass by the sea

and here is scurvy grass growing in its natural habitat rather than by the roadside (qv), in an almost inaccessible little spot called Backways cove.

spring squill

one of the nice things about walking in new places is that you find new plants. This is spring squill, which we have neither seen nor heard of before. It is a relative of bluebells (it looks like the end of a bluebell) and grows in abundance on the cliff tops on the coastal path. It is commonly found with sea campion, and there it was (bottom picture).

Trebarwith strand

we took the bold decision today to leave the safe confines of the Tamar valley and to explore the coast of North Cornwall. This is a small clump of thrift high on the cliff overlooking Trebarwith Strand.

early purple orchid

early purple orchid growing in the hedgerow on the way into our village (duckpond to the left at the bottom of the road)

martins

rebuilding the summer house, which the previous owners have left in a very ramshackle state. A lot of mud and spit is required.

view from Kit Hill

Kelly Bray mine workings (now a world heritage site) in foreground, and Linkinhorne parish church in background, and Bodmin moor in far distance.

crab apples

crab apple blossom, growing on Kit Hill where today I heard a cuckoo for the first time this year. Early purple orchids are growing in abundance on the road to Launceston, and the swallows and martins are building their nests. Once again, and with some relief, one can feel the strong pulse of the deepest rhythms of Nature.

lousewort

the unkindly named lousewort. It is a parasitical plant that uses grass roots to obtain nutrients, and was blamed for causing attacks of lice in livestock. It thrives in marshy boggy places and may therefore have been associated with liver flukes, and fluke infested sheep often have lice.
The flower looks very similar in shape to purple toothwort (qv) another parasitical plant. I wonder if they are related species or if there has been some independent evolution towards a similar shape.

wood warblers

the top of the trees were full today of noisy male wood warblers who have just arrived. They are fairly nondescript birds at a distance but have a beautiful song. They are very shy.

white red and blue

as promised the lanes are turning white, blue and red. This is the very best time of year to visit Cornwall if you want to enjoy the wildflowers.

honesty

Honesty is a common escapee from gardens and grows on waste ground and road sides. Its English name probably derives from the transparent seed-pods (which we will photograph if we ever see one). This specimen was growing in the hamlet of Pempwell

not much changes

these pictures are separated by about 100 years. The black and white picture is taken from the Callington museum site which has many more similar photographs. It is very striking how little has changed apart from telegraph poles and wires(and qv). All of these people have lived their lives, but their descendants still live in the village.

my name is not oscar

Tara from Days missed on a hammock has given our blog the “Arte y Pico” award. Thank you Tara. Tara, although a New Yorker, lives on a long island and is therefore more Cornish than most and a fan of Spot's digressions and indiscretions. When you stop to think about it the net is drawing us all together in a way that none of us could have possibly imagined even ten years ago. Sharing our rich, if rural, life with anyone who cares to pop in for a look gives us the greatest possible satisfaction. Thank you for taking the time to look.

Awards rules:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award.
4) The award winner and one who has given the price have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5) To show these rules.

downtown Rezare

quiet enough to play football in the street

sacred wells

the site of an ancient sacred spring in Rezare. This site and others are described at the Megalith information site (link). I can find very little information on Rezare (which might be because it appears to have been called Besair on the 1765 map see link)

Dunterton Church

unmistakeably from the same job lot as Stoke Climsland church but on the other side of the river (see previous page for view from the other side of the river.

red white and blue

the kennel decked out in patriotic colours in celebration of the Spring bank holiday.

inside the old mill

mysterious machinery lurking in the heart of the old mill at Beals Mill.

pendulous sedge and yellow archangel

pendulous sedge is common to damp woods and streamsides but the flower is striking nevertheless. Yellow archangel (this is a religious time of year for plant names, wood sorrel is often called alleluia ), in the lower 2 pictures, has a very striking landing pad on its lower lip.

swamp dogs

oh what fun it is to run around until you misjudge how deep the swamp is. No dogs were harmed in the taking of these photographs which is more than you can say for this monstrosity
These things make me feel so much pain and anger I have to turn away. Is it so important to be so clever?

sorrel

wood sorrel is associated with ancient woods partly because it is slow to spread. These cedars cannot be more than 50 years old so presumably it is the site of a much older wood.

the road to Stoke Climsland

the main road into our village (on the horizon) lined with bluebells. There has been a major effort to thin out the hedge trees (a photo in 2004, at the same site looking up the hill is included for comparison) and allow some more light into the lanes. It also allows the double decker buses to travel safely. The chicane in the road tends to keep car speeds to a reasonable level (there is just about room for two medium sized vehicles to pass).

pink mayflowers

a very pretty pink mayflower (or cuckoo flower, or lady's smock). This is one of the natural variations of this pretty flower. We found it in this field of mayflowers near the Lynher river at Golberdon (but no signs of any pastoral smocking)

wood sorrel 08

the soft and beautiful wood sorrel

bee collecting tringulins, no triungulins

now we know what this wild bee is doing. Or is it a collection of triungulins?

Pheasants eyes 08

narcissus poeticus, not native but naturalised and growing wild (and last year). I can't find anything interesting out about this plant but its name... Yes I can; it was allegedly brought back from the crusades by Sir Geoffrey de Fynderne and has become an emblem of the village of Findern, wherever that is. Is this true? Well done Geoff.

oil beetles

This is the female of the violet (or bluish) oil beetle (Meloe violaceus). Spot reads that this unusual beetle lays its eggs on the ground in leaf mould (as here). These hatch into long legged small larvae (triungulins) that swarm over plants in hot weather (they may have to wait a long time this year). They then attach themselves to a wild bee and are carried back to the bee's nest where they set about devouring the eggs and grubs. As they change into grubs themselves they eat the honey. They pass the winter as fat headless legless maggots then metamorphose one last time and crawl out in the Spring as adults to feed on buttercup plants. They also act as models for Alien. When picked up or otherwise irritated by inquisitive dogs they exude a foul fluid from their joints. They have overlapping wing cases. This one is distinctly blue.

a definite swallow

A swallow, with long tail streamers and a red chin. It is now clear that the swallows and martins arrived on the same bus yesterday. I had half a thought that I could see swallows and hear martins but they are very quick in flight and a bit blurred on the photos. Nevertheless is it is a joy to see them back.

million dollar view?

the view from Spot's kennel.

sky salute

and a special welcome from the sky

martin buzzard

and to prove the point, the common sight of a buzzard hanging around about to be mobbed by the Duchy rook gang, and below a newly arrived martin bombing about. Happy days.

editor's note: on closer inspection, Spot, it is a swallow although the martins are around as well (30/04/08)

campion and martins

campion is beginning to flourish again, turning a darker pink as the sun gets stronger during the year. The little white fur collar in the middle of the flower is characteristic.

And our house martins are back. I share that strange sense of anxiety at this time of the year that they will not return and that will be the beginning of the end (see Simon Barnes in the Times on Saturday) but hooray for optimism and the struggle for life.

books

Spot isn't naturally well informed but he reads a lot, and these are some of the reference books he has to hand in his very untidy study. Please feel free to borrow one.

wild garlic

and a sea of wild garlic, otherwise known as ramsons. Ramsons is derived from a german or swedish word (rams) meaning rank, ie a strong smell, imparted to milk when the plant is eaten by cattle.

bluebells

deep in the woods now one can find a quintessential English scene. The air was heavy with the scent of lime and wild garlic, and the birds were in full voice. Every now and then there was the slap of water as if some large but secret animal was moving stealthily into the water but it was simply the sound of the river folding in on itself.

It is very difficult to capture the blueness of the bluebells, especially close up. This is our native slender bluebell. Be careful in the woods because the plant will die if the leaves are crushed.

if it moves, run for it

large visitor to the pond. Duck on right is saying "if it tries to get into the water run for it."