Bloody crane's-bill, Geranium sanguineum In summer, Smardale is remarkable for its flora which attracts a wealth of butterflies, including the Scotch Argus and Northern Brown Argus. A still day with sunshine and butterflies- that was what we hoped for. The weather forecast had indicated rain would quickly clear, but it did not. Up on Great Ewe Fell and all the way to Crosby Garrett we walked in rain and mizzle. In woodland glades beside the dismantled railway line of Smardale Ghyll, that’s where the flowers and butterflies are. But butterflies won’t appear unless the sun shines, so fingers crossed.
Wild Angelica, Angelica sylvestris
Wild angelica is stately, with purple-tinged stems and a froth of pink blossoms attracting insect pollinators. Last summer there was a bumper crop of hazel nuts, this year I saw none. Vegetation was rank after so much rain and the wood crowded close about the track.
Wild Angelica with soldier beetle
Bloody Crane's-bill, Geranium sanguineum
Bloody Crane's-bill, flower and the beginnings of a seed head
I hoped the lunch spot would be an opportunity for less hasty photographs. Beside Smardale Ghyll Viaduct there’s a hot-spot for bloody cranesbill and the flowers held drops of rain although sunlight on a distant pasture was promising. Gradually, the afternoon grew warm and bright.
Bloody crane’s-bill’s name comes from its seed head, resembling a crane’s bill. Dark blood in pale pink sepals. This year, I’m taking photographs to capture the story of pollination and reproduction, the transition . Changes appear from the moment of pollination, tiny changes for macro-photography and zoom once I’m home again. I’m experimenting with how far I can enlarge an image into something abstract and wonderful . And here in these hairy pink sepals is the reddish pink beginnings of a fruit. Those pale pink sepals are delicately beautiful too. Not the conventional way of seeing flowers. I suppose we often admire fresh flowers, then turn away once the petals fall. That’s it, over. I’ve always liked to study seed –heads. Now I’m hooked on the transitional phase. I’m already wondering whether next summer I can find a more powerful camera.
Butterflies respond quickly to still and sunny conditions and there were common blues, small skipper, green veined white, fritillary. Scotch argus foraged amongst the flowers, restless, rarely settling for long.
The banks of flowers beside the disused railway line are a delight, dense clumps of a particular species; fragrant orchid, harebells, lady’s bedstraw. Amongst pale scabious the deep crimson flowers of great burnet make a fine contrast. Tiny flowers in a dark and compact head, they look like seed heads but look closer and you’ll see they’re made up of tiny petals.
Bloody crane’s-bill’s name comes from its seed head, resembling a crane’s bill. Dark blood in pale pink sepals. This year, I’m taking photographs to capture the story of pollination and reproduction, the transition . Changes appear from the moment of pollination, tiny changes for macro-photography and zoom once I’m home again. I’m experimenting with how far I can enlarge an image into something abstract and wonderful . And here in these hairy pink sepals is the reddish pink beginnings of a fruit. Those pale pink sepals are delicately beautiful too. Not the conventional way of seeing flowers. I suppose we often admire fresh flowers, then turn away once the petals fall. That’s it, over. I’ve always liked to study seed –heads. Now I’m hooked on the transitional phase. I’m already wondering whether next summer I can find a more powerful camera.
Butterflies respond quickly to still and sunny conditions and there were common blues, small skipper, green veined white, fritillary. Scotch argus foraged amongst the flowers, restless, rarely settling for long.
The banks of flowers beside the disused railway line are a delight, dense clumps of a particular species; fragrant orchid, harebells, lady’s bedstraw. Amongst pale scabious the deep crimson flowers of great burnet make a fine contrast. Tiny flowers in a dark and compact head, they look like seed heads but look closer and you’ll see they’re made up of tiny petals.
Smardale Ghyll is a National Nature Reserve. The track follows the course of a dismantled railway line.
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