Spooyt Vane

Last hike for a while

Wednesday, 25th July, 2012

We started this walk from the shore at Glen Mooar and walked up the road into the Glen, and along the paths through the glen to a pretty little waterfall, Spooyt Vane (White spout).

The next part of the hike was uphill - along a stony path through farm land.  There was an impressive patch of thistles on a bank at the edge of one field.  I wouldn't like these Spear thistles (Cirsium vulgare) in my garden but they are rather spectacular and they obviously grow just as well here as they do in Scotland.

Then we turned down the right of way through Lower Skerrisdale.  It became apparent that the countryside has finally, grudgingly, admitted that summer has come.  The summer wild flowers are flowering at last.  The first we came across was Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum).  This is the easiest bedstraw to identify - by far - because of the bright yellow flowers. 

Next were the pretty blue Harebells (Campanula rotundifolia) also known as Scottish Bluebells.

And then another plant which would not be welcome in the garden, even though it is very pretty . . . the Rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium).  As well as producing masses of wind blown seeds (the average number of seeds per plant is said to be 80,000), they also spread by underground rhizomes forming dense patches.

As we approached the coast road, there was a lovely view of the shore to the north, at low tide - and the eroding cliffs in the Kirk Michael area.

There are steps down to the disused railway line where it runs below the road bridge, and the path along the railway line took us back to Glen Mooar.  We came across another sign that it really is summer.  The hay has been cut in the fields and some has already been baled. 

 

There were a lot of Meadow Brown butterflies along the sheltered path.  One rather handsome specimen sat and posed for Dorothy for ages. but when she had finished it promptly flew away before I got a chance to take its photo.  I spent the rest of the rather frustrating walk back to the glen pursuing camera-shy butterflies, while trying to avoid being bitten by hungry horse flies.  Then I finally got this photo using the zoom.

But I needn't have bothered, because just as we approached the bottom of the glen, I spotted this Meadow Brown posing very prettily on a Valerian flower!

PS  Next week I will be in a panic, moving furniture and preparing for the arrival of our daughter and her girls.  And the following week they will be with us.  So the next photo hike won't be before the middle of August.