NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

There are people that pay thousands of pounds and spend days of travel to see the wonders of the natural world. The truth is, such wonders are available right on our door step. I have been lucky enough to see a great deal of Britain's coast line and am regularly taken aback by its beauty and splendour. Our recent trip to North Cornwall only confirmed our love of its rugged cliffs and sandy beaches. Photographs give only the merest indication as to what is truly on show before the observer, as the sensation of height, the true depth of field and all of the aural stimulants are missing. One can but try and share in the glory that is out there. All the pictures accompanying this post were taken from the coastal path between Mawgan Porth and Watergate Bay last Friday afternoon. It was an afternoon of sun, sheltered warmth and that blessed state of being aware that, what is being experienced, is one of those special times. The Spring Squill was a delight, with large but discrete co...

*with apologies to the patron saint of alliteration, Dave Walker A brief post as my walk this afternoon deserves a good write up. That will follow. Suffice to say that Spring Squill is present between Mawgan Porth and Porth in large, discrete colonies. And it's all just about to burst...

Katrina and I have just returned from a long weekend at Bude, in Cornwall, courtesy of her sister Fiona and brother-in-law Bill. As much as most of our time was centred around good company, food and drink, plenty of room was made for walks along the cliff tops and the observation of the natural world. It is an area that we all love and know quite well. My botanical highlight was the Spring Squill (above), being found on the cliff tops either side of Bude's sandy beaches. Efford Down was home to tens of thousands of plants, all in flower. They shared the turf with Thrift, Kidney Vetch and Scurvey-grass (I didn't specify the latter), and the photograph below illustrates just how they coloured the ground. Navelwort Rock Samphire roots exposed but clinging on There are even breeding Wheatears!