August gales

A protracted storm over the weekend brought gusts in excess of 65 m.p.h and driving rain, stripping leaves from trees, flattening crops and wrecking the garden. Today the wind has only very gradually abated, it has been cold and blustery, feeling months away from our warm, sunny plant hunt at Philorth last week. After being largely confined to the house yesterday we were glad battle with the winds and squalls by the shore this morning.

Fraserburgh Bay: filled with white horses in the aftermath of the storm

Waders were feeding busily on the sand round the outlet of the Kessock Burn. Apart from the flock of starlings on the right of the picture, all the birds - oystercatchers, redshanks, greenshanks, blackheaded gulls, herring gulls were foraging into the wind. The starlings squabbled and rose in restless bursts of flight, shape-shifting as they flew.

Botanising at the Water of Philorth Reserve.

Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris)

Grey Granite's favourite wild flower has long been the exquisite Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) which she first found growing on the shore at Egypt (between New Aberdour and Rosehearty) many decades ago. Locally common, highly selective in choice of habitat,  this beautiful, delicately veined flower grows in marshy ground, appearing in late summer. For Grey Granite there is an annual pilgrimage to one of the locations in which the plant grows.

Accordingly, Grey Granite and Rufus decided to walk to the Waters of Philorth to seek out the patch of Grass of Parnassus which grows in a secluded boggy area close to the car park there. We enjoyed a walk along the path between the bents and Fraserburgh Golf Course, this wide grassy path is still studded with patches of eye brights, stunted bluebells, red clover and a second flourishing of heartease pansies. Rufus points out that there are many interesting fox and rabbit smells to be explored along the way. We arrived at the marshy area and were pleased to find several patches of Grass of Parnassus and a few pale flowers of ragged robin amongst the damp grass. Here the vegetation is lush; the eye brights are taller, there is selfheal, meadow sweet, knapweed and common cow wheat.

Ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi)

We followed the Water of Philorth down to the boardwalk and, after Rufus had had a swim, cut across the dunes where a small flock of  buntings was feeding, to the beach, by which time the sun was out and it had become very warm. Heading back to Fraserburgh along the sand we were surprised to see a single tufted duck swimming close to the shore. The beach, miraculously was almost deserted apart from the swallows sweeping the bay for insects.

This was a hugely enjoyable and rewarding walk.

Gone, Gone Again

Fields of baled barley at Barnyards

Looking over Braco Park towards Troup from the Dry Brigs path

Straw waiting to be baled on the Cassa, Pitullie Castle in the distance

Grey Granite has been unable, for obscure technical reasons, to post anything on either of her blogs since May. She has missed the discipline of posting entries and is reminded of lines by Edward Thomas which seem apposite to to fill the gap:

Gone, gone again

May, June, July,

And August gone,

Again gone by, 

Not memorable

Save that I saw them go,

As past the empty quays

The rivers flow.

Our walk round the Cairnhill was accompanied by the sound of combines and balers as farmers are taking advantage of the dry weather to cut the barley. Many fields are already ploughed, Buchan has a distinctly autumnal air. Perchance awaiting an Indian Summer?