Cumbria Naturally
  • Home
  • Blog
  • My Books
    • Cumbrian Contrasts
    • A Lakeland Experience >
      • Introduction
      • Derwent
      • Langdale
      • Ullswater
      • Kentdale
    • About Scout Scar
    • Atlantic Odyssey
  • Other Writing
    • What Larks!
    • Further - Explore Shetland
    • Autumn Migration
    • Rydal and Nab Scar
    • Perspectives
    • The River Kent
    • Wings
  • Gallery
  • Contact

Lingmoor Trilogy: distracted by flowers

11/7/2018

0 Comments

 
PictureBlea Tarn and the Langdale Pikes 6 July
Flora followed water as we came off Lingmoor. Where water had been.  The bed of the beck was stone-dry but water had followed its channel and the yellow stars of bog asphodel grew thickly in every boggy hollow.  A blaze of bell heather in deep purple adorned the banks of the beck.  Ericas intermingled, cross-leaved heath, heather and bell heather resplendent.  Sundews grew angry red in pale sphagnum moss where the merest hint of water sustained them.  Distracted by a wealth of flowers, I  strayed from our descent line.

We were intent on flowers, thrilled by discovery. And abundance.   A wonder of cross-leaved heath rose thick in a hummock, pink flowers already fading under the hot sun.  Flowering solely for a day, solely.  Solar flowering- fast-forwarded by the sun and all over  in a  day.  New rich-red shoots heather  attracted us.  Last summer in Colonsay and now  on Lingmoor.  The beck plunged into a gully in a tumble of dry stones. We hadn't planned on gill scrambling.   A family of stonechat called in the bracken that rose above us. Fritillaries and white butterflies.  To keep clear of high bracken we went into the stony bed of the beck,  wary of twisting an ankle.  An overhanging rowan barred our way so we stepped up over loose shingle steeply onto grass.  Terrain so rough our progress was imperceptible and the gully hid the wider landscape. 
Last time I came this way it must have been autumn or spring. I was not distracted by flowers and butterflies and, being alone, I was more careful. Now  high summer bracken concealed the line I'd hoped to follow.  I had led my friends astray, but it was worth it. An  adventure shared.
Ironically, I had suggested this was the easier route. It might have been, had we not been led astray by a glory of flowers and butterflies.  Heat-wave and drought parch the landscape, so the hidden gems we found along our way were the more memorable.  There's a sense of fragility and resilience  beyond our understanding.  An awareness of the distinction between weather and climate change and how they interact in this long, hot summer.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Jan Wiltshire is a nature writer living in Cumbria. She also explores islands and coast and the wildlife experience. (See Home and My Books)

    Archives

    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    November 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    April 2010
    January 2010
    November 2009
    January 2009
    January 2004

    Categories

    All
    A Local Patch
    Birdlife
    Butterflies And Moths
    Flowers
    Locations
    Views
    Walks
    Weather
    WIldlife

    RSS Feed

Website
Home
Blog
Gallery
Contact



​Cookie Policy
My Books
  • Intro - My books
  • ​Cumbrian Contrasts
  • A Lakeland Experience
  • About Scout Scar
  • Atlantic Odyssey
    ​
Other Writing
  • Intro - Other Writing
  • What Larks!
  • Further - Explore Shetland
  • Autumn Migration
  • Rydal and Nab Scar
  • Perspectives
  • The River Kent
  • Wings
Jan Wiltshire - Cumbria Naturally
© Jan Wiltshire 2022 All rights reserved
Website by Treble3