Heat wave on the Wastart

Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis)

Grey Granite and Rufus enjoyed a couple of hours spent wandering slowly over the Wastart in the warm sunshine, 15 degrees when they left the car. Grey Granite was very hot, and tired by the end of the walk. Rufus, having youth on his side, didn't seem to mind the heat in the least and enjoyed playing with two German Shepherd dogs, one Labrador, two Springer Spaniels and his friends Lulu the labradoodle, and Harris the Jack Russell. He was pleased to be complimented on how much he has grown recently and on his friendly nature and handsome appearance. We walked to Katy's Loup, returning through the park behind Criag Ogston, still searching for the elusive Spring Squil, through the gorse then across the old the lazy beds below Pitheughie. The mill lade is still full of golden kingcups. Wandering through the sea of gorse we came across small oases of grass where there were abundant violets from palest mauve to deep violet, birds' foot trefoil and tormentil. In the wetter places we found the delicate pale pink flowers of cuckoo flower or Lady's smock.The Wastart had its characteristic summer smell, which for Grey Granite evokes childhood summers: thrift, gorse, peaty earth and the sea. Curiously, later in the afternoon a haze drifted across from the West, smelling of smoke, this later reached Fraserburgh. We hope, particularly at nesting time, that this is not from a grass fire, conditions are certainly dry enough.