De-comissioning the Methil Power Station

The Methil Power Station is gradually being taken down. The main building is now just a shell. The site is expected to be cleared by the end of the year.

A pair of mute swans with four juveniles seen just off the pier in Lower Largo, with the Methil Power Station in the background. I will miss the view of the power station's chimney from the pier, as it defined the Western end of Largo Bay

Keil's Den - First Walk of the Year

The grain of the wood on this fallen tree makes a wonderful natural sculpture. Gorse is flowering in the background.
We had put off a walk through Keil's Den because it can be muddy slippery underfoot in wet weather, so this was the first time that we had visited this year. Early Spring flowers were in bloom particulaly celandine and wood anemones, but there were also small clumps of primroses and wood sorrel.

A carpet of wood anemones clothing the banks of the Keil Burn

Dog's mercury. (Mecurialis perennis). At first sight this plant appears to have no flowers, but on closer inspection there are small flower spikes. Although it doesn't contain mercury, it is poisonous, the poison being in the volatile oil from the plant.

Great wood-rush (Luzula sylvatica). This plant is widespread near the burn in Keil's Den.

Spring Flowers in the Serpentine Walk

 Celandine flowers line the banks of the Largo Burn which flows through the Serpentine Walk.

 In the above photo celandines are flowering with butterbur.

Daffodils line the side of the path in the Serpentine Walk. Blackthorn flowers are also beginning to come out.

Wordsworth's Daffodils

Wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) - Wordsworth's Daffodils

There are many varieties of daffodil growing wild in the local area, but this one growing in the Serpentine Walk is a much slenderer plant than the garden varieties. Unlike the usual familiar all-yellow, the trumpet is is as long as the pale outer petals but is of a darker yellow. These are the daffodils 'fluttering and dancing in the breeze' that inspired Wordworth's famous poem. 

A Polycheate

Spotted this worm in a small pool of water at the top of the beach in Lower Largo. Very active, twisting and turning, bluey-green in colour, about 9 to 10 inches long. I think it's a ragworm (Nereis sp.)

Autumn and Winter Storm Damage

Damage to the end of Lower Largo Pier. A triangular boulder has been up-ended in the picture above.

 The end of the damaged pier seen from the beach below.

A boat from the harbour damaged in a storm holed along the side. Presumably the 'No Parking' sign doesn't apply to boats!!

Signs of Spring

Although it was back to winter today with wintry showers, there are signs of Spring. The first daffodil in our garden has been out for about a week now, actually earlier than last year by about 3 weeks.

A ladybird in a budding walllower.