Some Falkland Artistry

Walking through the woods in the Falkland Estate came across these intricate wooden carvings, presumably carved using some of the wood from the trees that were damaged in the winter storms.

Also came acoss a decorated tree-trunk.

Rainbow Over Largo Bay

The sunshine and showers weather yesterday produced this rainbow over Largo bay looking from Lower Largo Pier towards Dumbarnie Links. 

Kelp Forest at Low Tide

At low tides the upper fringe of the kelp forest can be seen on rocky shores such as that between  Lundin Links and Lower Largo. It mostly consists of oarweed (Laminaria digitata).

Looking towards the Bass Rock a tangled mass of kelp can be seen. The kelp forest provides a habitat for a diverse community of plants and animals. Scottish Natural Heritage have published an excellent booklet on Scotland's kelp forests.

Oarweed has a smooth, flexible stem (or stipe) and a shiny leathery blade divided into thin straps which spread out like the fingers of a hand. It is smooth to the touch and lies flat on the shore when the tide is out.

High Tide on the Rocks

With high tide approaching sea birds congregeate on the rocks opposite Lower Largo Pier. Here there are cormorants including a juvenile with a white breast also herring gulls and a greatblack-backed gull.

An Abundance of Wild Flowers

A sea of white daisies (scentless mayweed, I think) in the field beside the Serpentine Walk. Perhaps because of the weather conditions wild flowers seem particularly prolific this year.

A large patch of meadow crane's-bill alongside the old railway track.

Meadowsweet by the track.

A bank of wild thyme above the beach in Lower Largo.

A field of creeping thistles by the ruined salt-pan houses in Largo. They were attracting tortoiseshell butterflies and hoverflies.

Field scabious along the path on the railway track.

A patch of the Scottish bluebell or harebell on the Massney Braes at Lundin Links. A more delicate flower than the wild hyacinth also known as bluebell that blooms in the spring

In a completely different setting wild flowers which have been seeded on to a roundabout in Leven. It looks stunning and I much prefer this to the more formal displays.

Shore Crab

A green shore crab (Carcinus maenas) stranded on the beach at Lower Largo, its carapace encrusted with barnacles.

After the Rain

After the torrential rain yesterday a beautiful afternoon. Black-headed gulls were enjoying the small lake that had formed in the flooded field which runs along the road between Upper Largo and Lundin Links. Largo Law is in the background.

A Fog Bank Over Leven

A lovely warm afternoon, but there was a bank of fog sitting over Leven at the Western end of Largo Bay

Ringlet Butterfly

A ringlet butterfly on a butterbur leaf at the beginning of the Serpentine Walk in Lower Largo.

Whispering Grass

Perhaps because of all the rain, the grasses on the coastal fringe around Largo Bay seem to have been particularly spectacular this year. Not quite as high as an elephant's eye but pretty tall nonetheless. On a breezy day last Sunday it was a delight  to see them swaying in the wind.

Wild flowers amongst the grasses thistles, harebells and hawkweed.   

Looking across the grass to the western end of Largo Bay.

And East towards Ruddon's Point.