Tag Archives: Hazel

Glorious Insects and Flowers of the Dolomites

In Val Sugana
At Calvello, Val di Fiemme
Val di Fiemme
Brown Argus at Redagno
Dolomite landscape at Redagno
Idas Blue at Anterivo
Stone Grasshopper above Anterivo
Alpine meadow and forest, with wood-stacks, above Anterivo. The flower-rich grass is cut annually for hay.
Burnet Moth on Scabious above Anterivo
Scotch Argus at Anterivo
Fir forest, marsh with Birches, meadow, bog pool above Anterivo
Great Green Bush-Cricket above Anterivo
Silver-washed Fritillary on Devilsbit Scabious
Alpine Green Grasshopper, Val di Fiemme
Golden-ringed Dragonfly at Calvello
Well-maintained Alpine meadow at Calvello, with hingeless gate, Hazel bushes, Birch and Fir trees
Lingon or Cowberry at Calvello: far less common than Bilberry in the Dolomites
Chalkhill Blue, male, above Carano, on legume
Vetch and Thyme on limestone beside forest path (with fir-cone), Calvello
Chalkhill Blue, male
Pine Hawk-Moth caterpillar
Large Skipper on alpine pink
Large Pine Weevil at Calvello
Abandoned flowery meadow colonised by Fir trees, Val di Fiemme
Kestrel above Val di Fiemme

Nature Walk on Creag Dhu

A red Russula
A red Russula

Today I went for a proper nature walk, after cutting a lot of thistles on the farm in the morning. The birchwoods were lovely with Chanterelles, red Russulas, and the first few Orange Birch Boletes of the year.

Orange Birch Bolete
Orange Birch Bolete (it was delicious)

The sun came out from time to time, enough to make the Spey Valley look lushly golden against the green wooded hills and the distant blue Cairngorms, the heather richly brown in the foreground.

Upper Spey Valley
Upper Spey Valley

Orange crustose lichen with big black apothecia on rock
Orange crustose lichen with big black apothecia on rock

Spotted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher

Wood Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher Habitat

I climbed up the old mossy boulder-field of fallen rocks until I reached the old-growth Hazel woodland, and sat down. Around me, a Spotted Flycatcher brought flies to a juvenile, and a pair of bright yellow Wood Warblers flitted about the trees and showed themselves beautifully. The rocks were richly lichened, and Wild Thyme and Wood Sage (elegant spikes of green flowers with purple anthers) sprouted among the ferns. Maidenhair Spleenwort grew here and there among the rocks. It was really pretty.

Wood Sage, Teucrium scorodonia
Wood Sage, Teucrium scorodonia

Then I made my way right under the last of the cliffs around to the north and up on to Creag Dhu itself, with glorious views over the Upper Spey valley. Half a dozen feral goats played the role of herbivore, along with a Roe deer that skipped away from me effortlessly up the mountain and over a crest.

Feral Goats on Creag Dhu
Feral Goats on Creag Dhu

As I neared the summit, a Peregrine Falcon, wings like an anchor, hung motionless in the stiff wind before swooping to the ground.

Back at base, we had a magnificent mushroom sauce on our rice for dinner.