bugle is back

bugle is a common woodland plant and is flowering now. It is usually a mauve blue colour (top photo) but very occasionally it is pink and there is a small but persistent patch of pink bugle growing near Old Mill (bottom photo). It is not clear where its name comes from but it is possibly from bugulus, a thin glass pipe used in embroidery but I think this is getting one's etymological knickers in a twist and buegle is nothing to do with bugula. I await the definitive answer with interest. Of particular interest to Spot and me is that it was highly recommended for treating delirium tremens brought on by excessive ingestion of alcohol, and is a mild and effective narcotic. Eat it while it's still legal. (disclaimer ... Spot cannot beheld responsible for the wild ramblings on this site)

buttercup meadows

rampant meadow buttercups in fields below Kit Hill.

more coming down at the mill

I had an interesting conversation today with someone who knows about old mills. Beals Mill dates back to at least the twelfth century, with evidence of the oldest building in the foundations below the level defined by the arch with slates and a keystone (toolbox somewhat later). The plan is to incorporate the walls of the mill into a new house to be built on the site. The bridge (on the extreme left of the top picture) is now just visible from the lane behind the mill.

long tailed tits

We came upon a family of noisy long tailed tits by the Inny today. As you can see they feed mainly on insects; I think the bird on the left is a fledgling waiting to be fed. Bill Oddy describes them as pink lollipop birds because they have the habit of teetering on twigs and swinging slowly over like mechanical toys. They are very unafraid.

marbled moth

I find moths difficult to identify but this is probably a marbled minor, but I was struck by the beautiful feathery antennae

bees on the bush

the bees love cotoneaster so much that the whole bush seems to be buzzing when the small but obviously very sweet blossoms appear. Given all the bad news about bees it is reassuring to see so many of so many types.