A Unique Opportunity.

If you get the chance, take the first part of the Aber path from the Hall down to the Dam of Aber bridge in the next few days. These fields are like no other this year. Since the farmer died earlier this year there have been no cattle grazing; nor have the fields been mown for hay or silage, apart from a track about a metre wide that forms the path. This means that there is an opportunity to see the field in its natural state and it is beautiful!

The grasses are almost waist high and as you walk through them clouds of butterflies rise up ahead of you. It is so unusual to find such an untouched meadow and it has been a real haven for butterflies and other insects. As well as butterflies there was the hum of bees in the clover which was welcome to hear as there are so many reports of bees being under threat.

We did get caught in a very heavy shower yesterday but it didn't spoil the sheer delight of being there. The farm has now been sold and the new owner may well wish to cut these fields and get some income from the land. That's why these meadows provide such a unique opportunity to experience an untouched landscape - for this summer at least.

Treats and terrors

Today's walk was back to Ross Priory and the walk past the old Buchanan family graveyard and on through to the loch behind the golf course. It was a real jungle today. Lots of meadowsweet, burdock, brambles, columbine and the willow herb just beginning to appear above everything else. There are also lots of wild raspberries that were sweet and delicious - a real treat. In one place they formed an arch of raspberry canes which we needed to go under.

There was one terror we noticed as well - a specimen of giant hogweed. This is a spectacular plant but one that is very nasty and can cause severe burns to the skin - to be avoided at all costs. It spreads along rivers and watercourses and can be clearly seen spreading along burns in the Carse on the road to Stirling. Although attempts are being made to get rid of it, it is very strong and persistent. Ecoscope have produced a very useful leaflet describing Giant Hogweed and eradication methods.

By the time we reached the shore in front of Ross Priory it had started to rain quite heavily but we were not deterred as one of the reasons for the walk was to see the orchids in the meadow nearest to the Portnellan boundary. We were not disappointed. There were one or two along the path but the field was covered with them. There appeared to be several varieties but I haven't been able to identify them all. See today's picture for the one I can identify. We were pretty wet by now but spent several minutes admiring and photographing the profusion of orchids there.

Lightning strike

If you've been on the shore path walk this weekend you might have noticed the tree that was hit by lightning in the storm last Thursday. It really is quite dramatic. Sheets of bark have been stripped from the lower trunk of this relatively young oak tree but it appears to be untouched in the higher branches. The exposed trunk is a rich orange tan colour and the force of the strike can be seen in the splits that were made.

The height of this tree made it a natural lightning conductor. The charge follows the sap (phloem) between the bark and the trunk and its rapid vapourisation blasts the bark from the trunk. It must have been quite powerful as some of the strips of bark are several feet away from the tree.

It will be interesting to see if it can recover or whether the damage will ultimately kill the tree. Without its protective bark it is vulnerable to insect and fungal damage.

A proper summer

After some time away I'm back home and am amazed by the changes that have taken place in the few days I have been away.  It really is a proper summer this year.  Warm weather, some rain to keep everything green and growing and the school holidays have begun.  There have been a number of changes on the walk.  The grasses have grown above waist height in the fields below the hall as there have been no cattle grazing there all summer. 

 Just along the hedge in the top field the ragged robin is prolific and the purple vetch climbs through the hedge occasionally interspersed with the yellow variety.  Everything is abundant this year; the sweetness of the honeysuckle scent is almost overpowering in places.  Sometimes the plant itself is not always obvious and you have to look up and scan the trees to see how high it has clambered.  The brambles are also doing very well and if the flowers set then there will be a bumper crop of blackberries this year.  Great as I love bramble jelly!

On the nature reserve it is almost impossible to see the loch now that the bracken is almost 5 foot high in places.  Walking through on a hot day there is the unmistakeable smell that reminds me of holidays abroad rather than a Scottish summer.  Here the purple vetch and bramble flowers are flowing over the fence at the viewpoint.

The hot weather has brought a number of swimmers to the shore and it is ideal for a quick dip as the waters are shallow and warm up quickly.  Lookout for orchids under the bracken and along the lane, the creamy froth of the meadowsweet.