brimstone and fire

It was a beautiful sunny day and we went for a walk around Devon Great Consul mine workings (see my link). It is a barren place for the most part but two very early brimstones appeared to add a little colour, one of which you might be able to see below (just)

Ok, here it is, admittedly it is small and it was flying away fast

beech holidays

two mallards ("we shall be cruising today at 40,000 feet"), and below everyone taking a break after a long hard day building nests.

rook life

male rooks are very busy collecting twigs and other bits and pieces from the garden which they then present to the female in the rookery for making the nest. The one in the top photo has his beak full! As usual they are nesting both low and high in the trees so we must be in for our normal summer weather.

Crocus time

 The first bumblebees are around making for the crocuses. They get so heavily covered in pollen they can hardly fly.

heavenly celandine

Pansies, Lilies, Kingcups, Daisies,
Let them live upon their praises;
Long as there's a sun that sets
Primroses will have their glory;
Long as there are Violets,
They will have a place in story:
There's a flower that shall be mine,
'Tis the little Celandine.

WW 1802 (link)

Pentillie

Pentillie Castle is an interesting place not unlike its better known cousin Cotehele. It has a strange history (see link). The top picture is of old squireTillie  sat in his mausoleum. I felt like calling the picture below the sermon on the mount, but in fact it is the Saltash walkers listening attentively to David Readman. It was very congenial, even if Spot was not allowed to join in! More AONB events at this link.