Snake's Head Fritillary

Snake's Head Fritillary

I love the chequered pattern on this flower. Unfortunately this flower wasn't blooming in my garden, but in a friend's. I've never had a lot of success growing them; they come up for a year or two and then disappear.

In the wild it was naturalised in Southern England, but it has become very rare as the damp meadows that it favours have been drained and ploughed. It is now only found in a few protected sites.

A Sudden Spring

Bar-tailed Godwit

Most of April has been so cold, grey and windy, that it seemed that Nature was on hold. Nothing very much seemed to be going on. However, yesterday dawned mild , calm with a hazy sun and everything seemed to come alive. There were seals basking on the rocks, oyster catchers and a heron along the tide-line, the swans were swimming in Lower Largo Harbour. There was just so much happening. Also saw this bar-tailed godwit, with its very long slightly upturned bill.

Bluebells on the Disused Railway Track

Along the old railway track other flowers were coming out to join the daffodils - daisies, scurvy grass, dandelions, forget-me-nots, red campion and bluebells. Birds were singing, bees were buzzing, butterflies were flitting.

A Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly
I was pleased to see this small tortoiseshell, because last year they seemed to be quite scarce.

Preparing to Sail
There was plenty of human activity too, and on the beach in front of the sailing club, the small yachts were being got ready.

Seals at Lundin Links

Seal balancing on rock, in typical banana shape pose.

Quiet calm weather and low tide seems the best time to see seals on the exposed rocks, just opposite the first tee of Lundin Golf Course. There were five seals alltogether this morning.

Two seals sharing a rock, while a gull flies overhead.

Garden Snail

Garden Snail - Helix aspersa

We might get fed up with all the April showers, but snails just love the rain. The wet summer last year suited them just fine. This one was on the side of a flower pot that I was about to use, and when I moved it, it wandered off down the path and into the undergrowth.

Across the Forth

North Berwick Law viewed from Dirleton Castle.

Standing on the shore at Lower Largo and looking across the Forth Estuary to the East Lothian Coast, the two features that stand out are North Berwick Law and the Bass Rock. On a visit to the Sea Bird Centre at North Berwick was able to see these two features at close quarters. There are over 150,000 gannets on the Bass Rock and the Seabird Centre has live webcams on the rock. At the moment the birds are nesting and the first eggs have been spotted.

The Bass Rock from North Berwick

Squirrels at Silverburn

Grey squirrel at Silverburn Estate, Leven.

Grey squirrels are not popular, as they are an introduced species and are a threat to our native reds. Certainly not as attractive as the reds. However, they have been here for quite a while now, and the situation is not their fault. These were pictured at the car park at the Silverburn Estate which is a short walk from the Leven Beach following a path between the two golf courses of Lundin and Leven.

Click on photos to enlarge images.

Red Sky Over Lundin Links

Beautiful red sky over the houses in Lundin Links yesterday evening.