August nature photographs
Just photographs following nature in 3 areas of Northumberland National park.
Hareshaw Linn
Although diminishing now there is still purple to be found scattered in the verges before the woodland
Loving wild flowers and grasses together
As you wander into the woodland one or two delicate flowers appear just letting you know it is still summer.
Not forgetting some white flowering plants and a promise for more to come.
Grasses are changing colour but still there are areas where they are green and making lovely natural arrangements
Then some after the rains seed heads have turned black but an elegantly dressed insect still feeds
Raspberries are very early this year and light up verges with little baubles of delight.
Cow parsley has a spectrum of full bloom to beautiful dried different hues of brown.
Ferns scatter the woodland making little stories of their own.
The rain soak tree barks bring out their colours with the help of lichens.
This will be the last month of just vibrant green leafs as the energy depletes making way to them turning into yellows , reds and browns.
One of my favourites of all the places , Clover. Still going strong in the woodland.
Bakethin Nature Reserve
The nature ponds show no sign of letting go of summer and still vibrant and lush with so much insect activity.
Only in the open area are purple flowers flourishing the woodland verges are now mainly green
With the exception of Clover flowers where one or two still keeping hold of their colour adjacent others which have succumbed to their end of year.
Just a few Yellow flowers remain
There isnt much Cow Parsley here but where you do find it they are mainly still in bloom but you can see there structural form ready for them to turn into beautiful brown heads.
It is hard not to notice a wealth of raspberries when you walk through Bakethin.
Blackberries will be a short while to catch up
Where the Heather has light the jewel like flowers are glowing and sparkling in the sunlight.
I was surprised to see Mushroom this early but being my first year maybe this is normal.
You have to go looking but beautiful examples of Hard Fern and wonderful burgundy coloured moss but they can be found. Clover leaf still circling tree trunks in the woodland but these do not flower.
Just a few leafs have turned and the moss areas have toned down their green
Bull Crag Peninsular
I was a surprise as I thought the flower display had finished but new flowers have shot up. Sometimes large patches of purple and Yellow. Here and there are amazing examples of different flowering plants having their moments.
But there are many where the storm and rain has claimed them and soon petal remaining will change colours and eventually fall.
The Yellow is an unexpected Wow. I didn’t see them coming.
Not forgetting that White flowers are still holding their own in some places , not in the mass of purples and yellows but still creating lovely scenes.
The sunshine this year has definitely changed the grasses quicker than normal but all that energy has created so much beauty
Early ripened Rowan ready for the Birds but there is concern of early Berries for wildlife.
Like Bakethin the small amounts of cow parsley are in bloom whilst a few seed heads are beginning to change.
The knapweed has moved from purple petals to brush like material looking like little punk rockers.
Not as much heather here than Bakethin and the flowering has been short
The turning of flowering plant seed heads create attractive alternatives to colourful petals and not all seeds manage to travel too far as prickly thistles keep hold of a few.
But still there are pretty verges to be found alongside the remains of white daisies. scattered along the paths.
