The following two photos were taken from exactly the same spot (within a few metres!) in September 2008, when the turlough was quite full.
We managed to get just about 3/4 lb of sloes, which was not very much at all. But the views from round there are so good that C is always happy to go there anyway - and we do still have some sloe gin left from two years ago when there was a bumper harvest. The blackberries were pretty miserable too - I think it hasn't been a good year in the wild any more than in peoples gardens.
From there we went on our usual drive/walk around the Finvara area. The high point of the whole weekend for C was seeing this sparrowhawk as we drove slowly along the coast road. It stayed there for ages - I was able to get out of the car and get quite close, while C managed to balance the spotting scope on the car window for an even better view.
In the field beside the Martello tower we spotted a late Red Admiral in remarkably good condition for this late in the year. I think I've read that a lot of butterflies have been late this year...
Stone walls always fascinate me. When I think of the back-breaking work of collecting, transporting and stacking them it boggles my mind. They are monuments in their own as they delineate the boundaries.
ReplyDeleteGreat capture of the sparrowhawk. Such crisp and clear shots. Our blackberries did not fair well at all and it's hard to find a pick-your-own place that has them anymore.