Wild flowers

[Blodyn]

The creeping willow on the Great Orme is coming into flower.

The wood sorrel is in bloom, too.

[Hugo]

I was in the slate mines in Tanygrisiau on Friday and noticed all these ferns growing on a wall inside the cave, there was hardly any light there and no soil or water so I don't know how they can survive there. 

[DaveR]

The graveyard in the centre of Llanfairfechan was carpeted with primroses today:

[Hugo]

Saw clumps of Primulas as I was making my way up from Hornby Cove on the Great Orme and some small cowslips on top of the Orme.
Saw this other plant but haven't a clue what it is.     Blodyn's the expert, perhaps she knows.

[Nemesis]

Just had a quick look in my wild flower book as it wasn't one I could readily name.Hope Blodyn can identify it , as I am not sure. The nearest  I can spot is Scurvy-Grass, but the leaves are a bit too rounded.

[Orme Vixen]

Possibly wild Cotoneaster see the following (4 pages)

http://www.thewildflowersociety.com/wfs_report_menus/wfs_great_orme_2006/great_orme_2006_pages/great_orme_2006_page_4.htm

[Blodyn]

Sorry to disappoint you, Hugo and Nemesis but I'm not a particular expert!  I agree with Nemesis that the plant in Hugo's photo does look like common scurvy grass but I think that we have Forum member who could give us a definite identification.  The interesting article to which Orme Vixen posted a link mentions Wendy McCarthy, who is an expert and who, unless I'm much mistaken, has joined the Forum.  So, if you read this, Wendy, we'd love to hear from you! 

Going back to an earlier question from Trojan of whether anyone has seen the wild cotoneaster, Cotoneaster cambricus, you should be able to see a "tame" one in the wildflower garden at the Great Orme summit visitor centre. 

[Trojan]

Thanks for that Blodyn bach. 

[Blodyn]

Lots of wildflowers are coming into bloom on the Great Orme including: wood anemone (wind flower / blodyn y gwynt), spring cinquefoil, spring squill (one of my particular favourites), thrift starting to come out, an occasional common rockrose, not forgetting buttercups, daisies and dandelions.  What a lovley time of year!

As this is not the gardening thread, I'll say that even the daisies and dandelions are very pretty!

[Nemesis]

Wonderful pics Blodyn.

[Hugo]

They are really great photos Blodyn, what camera do you use for those close ups?   
 I've got a Canon Powershot but it's set on auto all the time as I haven't read the instruction book yet!         

[Blodyn]

Thank you very much for your kind comments, Nemesis and Hugo. 

Hugo, my camera is an Olympus Camedia C-8080 Wide Zoom.  It's not a digital SLR but it does everything from wide angle landscapes to super-macro close ups with one lens.  It's pretty handy but they don't make it anymore.  The main drawback is that it's rather slow to focus and to write to the card.  Slow focusing isn't too much of problem with a flower (unless it's windy) but is frustrating with something faster moving, such as a bee or a butterfly.  I have taken plenty of photos showing where the bee or butterfly was a moment before! 

[hollins]

The bluebells and the wild garlic look gorgeous today.

[Nemesis]

Birds foot trefoil and wild orchids behind the halfway station this morning.

[Hugo]

Saw these flowers yesterday but haven't a clue what they are apart from the Bluebells of course.