St Combs, marine archaeology

A glorious walk at St Combs  this morning,  the temperature reached 18c in the bright sunshine. We walked from 'The Duck' down to the shore at Boatlea and along the track behind the dunes to the outflow from Strathbeg returning along the beach. 

Rufus is developing his interest in marine archaeology

St Combs beach was deserted apart from the  eiders and the seals basking in the sunshine. The ducks were outraged at our intrusion and complained in their murmuring like ladies in a teashop enjoying the gossip. Near the outflow from Strathbeg we saw several large shell ducks and a pair of herons. 

A small pool in the bents, densely covered in water crowfoots. The smaller flowers are ivy leaved crowfoot, (Ranunculus hederaceus) the larger are probably water crowfoot (Ranunculus trichophyllus)

Philorth: Walk Through the Woods

Arctic Bramble forming a sprawling hedge by the North Lodge

Horse chestnut candles



The trees in 'The Wilderness'  are all now in fresh new leaf,  the horse is standing under a horsechest nut,  there is a copper beech in the background.



The 'Ruddy Dendrons' which line the main driveways are coming into flamboyant flower.
'For those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing that they like.'

The wood smells strongly of the carpetting wood garlic

The ash trees remain bare, their buds hardly opened yet in contrast to the sycamores, beech and horsechest nut trees. We have looked in vain for an oak to consider
'Oak before ash, we are in for a splash
Ash before oak we are in for a soak.'