Tueasday 5th August: Morvah Pasty Day!

Despite having been coming down to west Cornwall for a number of years, somehow we've never managed to attend the legendary celebration that is Morvah Pasty Day. Thus when we found that it coincided with our week down here this year we were champing at the bit to attend. We decided to walk there from the cottage and so it was that we set off around midday in what had turned out to be a rather warm and sunny day. I took the opportunity to admire the flaura and fauna along the way and was rewarded with a Clouded Yellow sighting as well as lots of flowers that, since my interest in this branch of nature is still in its infancy, were often new to me. 

I'm starting to appreciate the small streams that abound in this part of the country. Whereas they are largely barren when I usually seem them in the autumn, at this time of the year they are a riot of colour with all sorts of wonderful flowers and with sparkling Banded Demoiselles adding an exciting electric blue dimesion. The stream at the far end of Portheras beach played host to what I later found out was the strangely-named Hybrid Monkeyflower as well as the creeping menace that is Japanese Knotweed.

Hybrid Monkeyflower

Dor Beetle species: Anoplotrupes stercorosus...

...Dor Beetles can be recognised by their highly irrudescent undersides

Further on at another stream I came across some Water-cress as well as Fool's water-cress though they look so different one would have to be very foolish indeed to mistake one for the other.

Fool's Water-cress

Water-cress

Finaly we made it to Morvah and queued up patiently for our pasties and a welcome cup of tea. We then enjoyed the novelty of being able to eat our food in the pleasant coolness of the church, sitting on a pew.

Pasty on a pew

After that we explored the various stalls and listened to some of the local musical talent. Finally it was time to head back home again. Just as we neared the cottage the heavens opened and we had to hurry back to avoid a soaking. With the rain set in for the rest of the afternoon we stayed in and enjoyed a family game of Trivial Pursuit which my VLW won (as always). 

Moth du Jour: make Oak Eggar - found resting on a wall sheltering from the rain

A bonus moth: this Pebble Prominent was found by daughter B on her shoe
(ID courtesy of John Swann)