purple patches 1

we have noticed that as it moves towards mid summer and later there are more and more wild flowers in the blue mauve purple part of the spectrum. There are of course still lots of plants that flower in yellow and white but is there something that favours the UV end of the spectrum at this time of year? Maximum marks to anyone who can name all of the wild flowers in these two posts that we came across on our walk yesterday.

more butterflies

at long last there are signs that the butterflies are returning. At the top are two gate keepers fighting/and or mating. Below are two photos of one of my local favourites the silver washed fritillary,(a male showing the 4 androconial lines of the fore-wings). These are big powerful fliers that fly on the edges of woods and love brambles.
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At the bottom is the comma, possibly the second generation this year, and suddenly there are a lot of them. And the meadows were full of ringlets and meadow browns. A lovely day for the amateur lepidopterist.

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monkey flower

naturalised but not native, mimulus or monkey flower, photograhed here growing in the middle of a very boggy piece of land, which fortunately has dried out enough to allow close access to show amazing flower and landing strip.

meadow dogs

lounging around in a meadow full of bird's foot trefoil, stitchwort and bedstraw

honeysuckle cottage

honeysuckle growing on the wall of Spike's house (just across the road from us)

Lynher walk 3

in the green cathedral