River Esk
June 2026 - Woodland impressions
A May heatwave in south east Scotland did a power of good for the late spring and early summer flowers. However, it was just good to feel a little heat on one’s back after the wet winter.
A quick trip to a local woodland to photograph lily of the valley was a real pleasure. To see it growing profusely in the wild in Scotland is a bit of a treat and something of a rare sight. I always admire their delicate, artistic flowers which have a continental feel to them.
I also managed a trip to another favoured ‘hunting ground’ where I spent some time amongst the ramsons and bluebells. There is something special about a bluebell wood that never fails to impress me; I think it’s the expansive carpet of blue that hits the visual senses before the woodland floor returns to its native green for summer. Meanwhile the distinctive garlic smell of ramsons add a further layer to this time of year. At the same location, I grabbed some pictures of the River Esk where the rocks and stones appear unusually orange as they become tainted by iron oxide which must be abundant in the immediate area.
On Dundas Loch where I work, cygnets and goslings have successfully hatched and appear to be thriving. Unfortunately for the mallards, their ducklings never seem to last long and I would love to know what takes them. It’s sad that year after year they fail to rear young to maturity. Nevertheless, in the field outside the portacabin I work from, a roe deer has dropped two fawns which I shall enjoy watching as they begin to grow and become more bolder. With swallows and house-martins reappearing following their migration, spring has truly sprung.
June 2026 - Woodland impressions
A May heatwave in south east Scotland did a power of good for the late spring and early summer flowers. However, it was just good to feel a little heat on one’s back after the wet winter.
A quick trip to a local woodland to photograph lily of the valley was a real pleasure. To see it growing profusely in the wild in Scotland is a bit of a treat and something of a rare sight. I always admire their delicate, artistic flowers which have a continental feel to them.
I also managed a trip to another favoured ‘hunting ground’ where I spent some time amongst the ramsons and bluebells. There is something special about a bluebell wood that never fails to impress me; I think it’s the expansive carpet of blue that hits the visual senses before the woodland floor returns to its native green for summer. Meanwhile the distinctive garlic smell of ramsons add a further layer to this time of year. At the same location, I grabbed some pictures of the River Esk where the rocks and stones appear unusually orange as they become tainted by iron oxide which must be abundant in the immediate area.
On Dundas Loch where I work, cygnets and goslings have successfully hatched and appear to be thriving. Unfortunately for the mallards, their ducklings never seem to last long and I would love to know what takes them. It’s sad that year after year they fail to rear young to maturity. Nevertheless, in the field outside the portacabin I work from, a roe deer has dropped two fawns which I shall enjoy watching as they begin to grow and become more bolder. With swallows and house-martins reappearing following their migration, spring has truly sprung.
