bastard balm

a rarity that is quite common locally especially in the woods. This clump grows here every year (see earlier pages), surrounded by stitchwort, bluebells and vetch.

kidney vetch

the amazing shades of natural colour of kidney vetch within a few square yards of each other in the cliff top meadows on yesterday's walk. I am not impressed by the supposed similarity of the flower heads to kidneys but it was enough to justify using the plant to treat a range of kidney diseases. It is also one of those plants with lots of local names eg butterfingers, lamb's foot and ladies finger.

Harriet and Spot at Backways cove

HRH does a bit of posing while Spot goes fishing. Spot put his head completely under the water (as does his bro Vasco aka Tigger) several times as if he was hunting for something. It is not obvious what he is up to.

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).