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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 18 Aug 2021
by Kate Sutton - 17:32 on 18 August 2021
A small but select group of 3 group members met at the Maeshowe visitor centre car park and took one car up to Russadale. The weather was overcast, with occasional breaks of sunshine, and although threatening rain, we were lucky to have a shower free walk, the rain only beginning when we returned to the car.
The walk up to the quarry included late flowering plants, and those that had finished flowering. We were pleased to identify many of the latter from their seed heads and leaves. The mixture of flowering plants included a profusion of valerian all along the path, a stand of sneezewort and, to our great delight, we found a patch of sundew, almost in flower, at the head of the quarry. Some blaeberries beside the track provided each of us with a delicious taste of a berry.
The sound of the burn running, and an occasional puddle was a welcome change from the arid conditions of a few weeks ago.
We identified the following list of flowering flora. Angelica, Cat’s-ear, two types of Eyebright, Meadowsweet, Tormentil, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Meadow Vetchling, Marsh Ragwort, Ling, Bell Heather, Cross-leaved Heather, Rosebay Willowherb, Autumnal Hawkbit, Sneezewort, Valerian, Creeping Thistle, Marsh Thistle, and Spear Thistle, Perennial Sow Thistle, Meadow Buttercup, Selfheal, Ragged Robin, Round-leaved Sundew, Lesser Spearwort, Red and White Clover, Water Forget-me-not.
Other flora included Stinging Nettle, Broad-leaved Dock, Water Avens, Yellow Rattle, Hogweed, Primrose, Hard Fern, Broad Buckler-Fern, Common Cotton-grass, Field,Marsh and Wood Horsetail, Blaeberry, Salmonberry, Marsh Marigold, Marsh Cinquefoil, Slender St John’s-wort, Butterwort, Silverweed, Greater Wood Rush, Common Sorrel.
Valerian
Round-leaved Sundew
Blaeberry
Sneezewort
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