Coastal flowers at Rosehearty

Friday morning was quickly too hot for  a serious walk but perfect for drifting slowly over the Wastart searching for flowers. 

The park between Mid Street and the Wastart, looking towards Lochielair and in the distance Troup Head. The field is bright with daisies, field buttercups and in the short grass on thin soil on the rocks, birds' foot trefoil, also known by the highly descriptive names,  'eggs and bacon' and 'birdies' taes'

There is great variety in the colouring of the thrift clumps varying from palest pink to mauve and rose pink. The effect is like a thick patchwork quilt laid out on the rocks to air.

Sea campion and thrift

Sea campion,(Silene maritima) known in some areas as Devil's Hatties or Dead  Mens' Bells, grows along side thrift on the rocks.

Rufus among enjoying the sunshine on a patch of Spring Squill and Tormentil studded grass. It was dry and warm enough to sit on the turf watching the gannets. We had to move from one spot because we were being harangued by an agitated a meadow pipit whose nest must have been dangerously close to where we sere sitting.

Late every Spring certain dryish areas of the Wastart suddenly become studded with the exquisite pale blue stars of Spring Squill. Usually described as 'locally plentiful', is much more common on the west coast than here in the east. Where it finds suitable conditions it forms great drifts of flowers and is undoubtedly one of the great treasures of our coastal flora.

These tiny, delicate plants are only about 7.5cms high but are  a joy to behold.

Spring Squill (Scilla verna)

Brooklime, (Veronica beccabunga) currently struggling to flower in the almost dried up bed of the Mill Burn

Cuckoo Flower,  (Cardamine pratensis)

Currently there are many plants in flower in the relatively damp, disused lazy beds below Piteughie, there seems to be a particularly wide colour variation this year, this is one of the palest examples.

Suddenly the earliest of the orchids (Dactylorhiza) always appearing first under Pitheughie are in flower.

The bright flowers of Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) stud the grass

Common Milkwort (Polygalia vulgaris) 'blue as summer skies'.

Low and creeping in the drier grass this tiny plant is easily overlooked.