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Photography Group One 1st May 2024
Ten of us met at the roadside Car Park in Finstown on a day with little wind and some low cloud but with the sun trying to get through. We set off to the Community Garden where we found lots of lovely colourful flowers out as well as tree buds bursting forth. The Burn was a great source of images.
Jocky Wood was painting a new picnic bench with the appropriately titled Wood Stain! He does a great deal of the work on the garden as well as his own just up the hill opposite.
Six of us then headed for Binsgarth Woods.
The track was muddy in places but the spring flowers were out all the way. There was Pink Purselaine, Wild Garlic, Wood Anemone, and the invasive Salmon Berry. Since the tree leaves were not blanketing the light, one was able to get good photos close up. The Burn had lots of interesting tree roots and hanging tyres and ropes from the kids' dare devil antics. Then it was back to the shop for rolls and along to Tom's house for a cuppa and a nice piece of cake. Thank you very much for that Tom and all the stories too.
The next meeting will be going to Westray on Wednesday 29th May for the day. Arrangement will be made nearer the time.
All in all a lovely morning, taking time to look at the flowers and listen to the Wrens, Willow Warblers, Chaffinches and Robins singing in the woods.
Keep clicking.
Walking Group One 25th April 2024
Five hardy souls collected today at Happy Valley for the first Hill Walk of the year .The temperature was cool with a North Easterly wind blowing and a hint of rain on arrival.
Off we set heading towards Russadale Quarry, spotting a Buzzard on the way.Turning into the footpath we remained sheltered from the wind all the way to the top of the hill.
The sun was out at the Quarry and a Greenshank was feeding at the edge of the Lochan. Then it was up the Peat road to the summit with spectacular views across Stenness and Harray Lochs, plus a view of the Closed Road beyond the Watch Stone. On the other side we looked over the Flow and down towards the Oil Platform and South Ronaldsay
Then it was back down after a stop for a snack and finally a walk around Happy Valley itself. The Daffodils planted by James and others were looking lovely and the Bluebells are days away from opening. Then it was on to a well deserved lunch at the Pier Cafe, having walked 4 miles and gone up 800 feet (and down again )
The next walk will be on Friday 24th May and hopefully more hills and views.
Keep moving.
U3A Botany Group - July 2022
by Kate - 08:11 on 22 July 2022
Outing to Wyre on 19 July 2022
Having cancelled the outing the week before because of a bad weather forecast, 6 of us were well rewarded this Tuesday when we visited the small island of Wyre. Apart from the abundance of cleggs, the day was very pleasantly warm and sunny, with just a hint of the thunder storms that were to follow later that night.
Last year the group visited the island at a later time of the year, and, liking what we saw then, we had planned this return visit in July. We were well pleased, finding an amazing variety of plants in full flower. Walking along the road to the Chapel and Cubbie Roo’s Castle, the road verges were overflowing with really healthy wild flowers in vibrant colour, one of the best being the huge purple clumps of Tufted Vetch. In one of the gateways we found a mass of Common Ramping Fumitory.
Walking from the Chapel to the Castle, there was a damp area in which we found Tufted Forget-me-not and Blue water Speedwell. The moat around the Castle, although holding stagnant water, contained Water Crowfoot and Common Water Starwort. The walls of the Castle were covered with Wall Rue while at the back of the building, in dampish gravel, we found plants of Marsh Cudweed and Wall Speedwell.
We then moved down the track past Cavit to the shore. Walking along the coast we reached a fine wetland area where we found Northern Yellow-cress, Marsh Bedstraw, Marsh Cudweed, Red Bartsia, Knotted Pearlwort, Marestail, Bogbean, Marsh Cinquefoil, Ragged Robin, Marsh Lousewort, Marsh Ragwort, Pink Water Speedwell and there remains an ongoing discussion as to whether Amphibious Bistort or Redshank.
Having had lunch on the shore, John Crossley, just recovering from Covid, (thank you John so much for coming) decided to head back to catch the mid afternoon ferry, while the remaining 5 began a uncharted trek towards The Taing. Unfortunately a large group of inquisitive cattle changed our plan, and eventually we headed back down to a different part of the shore line where eagled eyed Phylida made the discovery of the day, some Common Twayblades. These were not on John’s very comprehensive plant list. Walking back to the pier there was a chance for some of the group to gather some of the Yellow Rattle seed pods lining the road sides.
Altogether it was a really pleasant outing. Because of the lack of industrial farming on the island, not only were the flowers a joy to behold, but note was made of how wonderful it was to walk through wild grass meadows full of Meadow Brown butterflies at this time of the year.
In all we noted down 110 species which included - Marsh, Great, and American Willowherbs - Heath, Ladies, and Marsh Bedstraws - Sea Milkwort - Arrow Grass - Sea Campion - Sneezewort - Wild Radish - Smooth Ladies Mantle - Lesser, and Birdsfoot Trefoil - Kidney, Tufted, Bush, and Meadow Vetchling Vetches - Toad Rush - Wild Pansy - Hybrid Woundwort - Lesser Spearwort.
Common Ramping Fumitory
Sticky Mousear
Red Bartsia
Wild Pansies
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