It's some time since we last walked the winding Estate track from Drummuie to Loch Lunndaidh and had forgotten what we so love about it: the heavy silence of the wild, open moor. Little moved, just a few pipits, small, pale moths and, as the temperature rose, a scattering of butterflies.
Most of the trees that were planted last summer seem to have survived the winter but the mounds formed on which they were planted are now very visible, the dark, peaty soil having been washed. away to leave piles of pale stones, like small graves.
The silence seemed to deepen as we walked the rough path which follows the loch-shore. The water was very low - we've had no rain for days - but in the few damp areas along its margins we found....
....heath spotted orchids, most almost white, only the second colony of these delicate flowers we've found in the Golspie area. We also stumbled across....
....two of Britain's three species off sundew, the round-leaved one at bottom right and one with longer leaves at left. There are two long-leaved species but distinguishing them is beyond my capabilities.
All are carnivorous, as was amply demonstrated by this plant. In the past we've seen quite large insects caught in the sticky 'dew', the largest being a damselfly.
No comments:
Post a Comment