Too good to be true !

Wed 5th Sept. 2012
                          A bit of settled weather for a change to enjoy an area that I never tire of.  Arnside and Siverdale near to the N.E. corner of Morecambe Bay is a quiet area of natural beauty with wooded and limestone hills and extensive views across the estuary of the River Kent and the sands of Morecambe Bay

    The walk over Arnside Knott to Silverdale and then back along the coastal path to Arnside is about 8 miles.  Down the scree path from the viewpoint on the top of the knott I spotted some Dark-Red Helleborines under some larch trees but the flowering season should have finish by now. On closer examination I had my doubts, they were the same reddish colour but lacked the bright yellow anther so I came to the conclusion they they were reddish coloured Broad- Leaved Helleborines.  It just so happened that a voluntary warden was passing and he confirmed that the plants were hybrids between the two species.

                                  Along the coastal path

This years Brimstone Butterfly, this will hibernate through the winter and lay eggs next Spring

          The Dark-Red Helleborine on Helsington Barrow in July this year

                  The Broad Leaved and Dark-Red Helleborine hybrid

                        All the flowers growing on Limestone scree

And finally today back home in the garden a very tame young robin

                                    Weeding the Pond
On the stone seat next to the pond the young robin has taken a liking to blackberries