Overcast and windy.
This area was deep coniferous forestry until about 4 years ago. Now it is reverting to the original heath and we can see a dramatic year on year increase in many of the plants. The Butterwort is one example.
This is the Alder Fly - Silais lutaria. There appears to be no connection whatsoever with the Alder tree: the larvae are aquatic.
This is the largest local Hoverfly - Sericomyia silentis.
The first local orchids have opened. Northern Marsh Orchid - Dactylorrhiza purpurella.
And Common Spotted Orchid - Dactylorrhiza fuchsii.
Heath Woodrush - Luzula multiflora - has a couple of subspecies. One with the flower heads all squashed together and one with the flower heads dispersed on thin stalks. Which is this one? Or is it a hybrid? Too much splitting into subspecies, methinks.
Spiny Sow-Thistle - Sonchus asper.
Marsh Bedstraw - Galium palustre.
I opened spun leaves on Willow and found this moth larva. Red-line Quaker - Agrochola lota.
Wood Horsetail - Equisetum sylvaticum - has very elegant drooped branches.
Fuchsia will now turn many of the Donegal hedgerows bright red for the next couple of months. Fuchsia magellanica.
