I licked a jellyfish...

It took us (that's Kirsty, Gail and myself) FOREVER to reach the beach at St Cyrus on Wednesday.

I know this is a Nature Friday post and all that, and perhaps I should apologise in advance to blog hop hosts the LLB Gang for saying the following, but really, why would anyone stop for AGES AND AGES identifying every single flower on the path down the cliffs when a glorious, empty and expansive beach, where a puppy is allowed to roam free, lies in wait?

Well eventually, after Gail had taken photos of the scarlet pimpernel, the bellflower, the sea storksbill and the meadow saxifrage (and several other plants not pictured above), we reached the sands. 

It didn't take me long to spot something interesting and before spoilsport Gail could sprint over to drag me away I managed a tasty lick of stranded jellyfish.....

A few minutes later as we walked back through the sand dunes I started feeling a bit funny and developed a strong urge to eat the grasses Kirsty was seeking to identify. 

When Gail and Kirsty stopped for a picnic and offered me a bowl of water I drank and drank and drank, then vomited a slimy mass of grass onto the otherwise lovely, speedwell-flecked meadow.

Kirsty, a retired vet, attributed my sudden nausea to the jellyfish licking incident and Gail confidently predicted I would throw up again in the car on the way home. 

Which I didn't, by the way, and was fine thereafter too. 

Oh, Gail is telling me my Nature Friday readers did not come here to learn all about my "misadventures with marine life" (or, as I would prefer to put it, my continuing open-ness to interesting  and novel taste experiences). She is suggesting I post a photo of the  ladybird we saw perched on one of the flowers. So here it is. 

Summer? Really?

According to the weather experts here in the UK, today, 1st June, marks the start of 'meteorological summer'.

I am still a puppy, 4 months old plus a few days, and Gail says I am "just skin and bone" at the moment*. When at home, I always seek out the warmest spot available. So I am looking forward to some lovely summer weather in the months to come, although Gail has pointed out that since we live in Northern Scotland, I might  might need to "manage my expectations"...

And it's true, it was only 10ºC and raining when Gail took me for a walk along the river Dee at Banchory on Monday afternoon. The walk was fun (all walks are fun, right?) but I was feeling a bit shivery by the end. 

I gather that Gail knitted several sweaters for my predecessor 'Bouncing Bertie'. Between you and me, I am hoping that in time for next winter she knits me one of my very own, tailor made for my slender frame, rather than trying to fob me off with ill-fitting hand-me-downs...

*Gail says: Nobby has proved an erratic eater, and our experience at puppy class made it clear he is not primarily 'food motivated'.  So he's a skinny little chap at the moment, although I'm pleased to say that in the past couple of weeks he's been much better about consuming and keeping down his meals and is now gaining weight more rapidly. 

We are family!

On Sunday morning my extended family of Aberdeenshire wire-haired fox terriers met for a woodland walk on the Leith Hall estate. 

On arrival I was delighted to spot my big brother Rupert, one year older than me. 

Even better, our parents turned up too. Front to back we have Jimbob (dad), myself, Rupert, and Vikki (mum), 

After a brief 'meet and greet', us pups set off in purposeful fashion for the bluebell woods, with the humans trailing behind, nattering away of course.

As time went on, it is just possible that Rupert was finding my insistent attentions a teeny bit irritating.

What are little siblings for, if not to be a pest?

Of course, when I am home with my human family I am always impeccably behaved and never ever a pest.....*

*Gail says "I wish..."

Nobby the apprentice field assistant

Well friends, it's been a busy and interesting ten days!

Gail didn't tell me before we set off for Torridon a week last Tuesday that she would be spending most of her time conducting surveys of local plant life, having volunteered to take part in the National Plant Monitoring Scheme, and that I, Nobby, would be assisting her with the field work.

Well I am pleased to report that I took to the role like a duck to water (and believe me, there is plenty of water in this part of the world).

Look, here's me, guarding the SW corner flag of a 5 m square of 'wet heath' on the Kinloch Estate, wherre  Gail was surveying the plantlife with fellow volunteer Graham. 

I should point out here that Gail was planning to leave me in the car but Graham said no, no, he'll be fine, let him come with us. What a nice man, don't you think?

While the humans got stuck into identifying different types of heather, sedges, moor grasses, bog myrtle and bog asphodel etc. I gave them absolutely no cause for concern by scrambling up and over nearby rocky ledges, and I even helped by making sure the marker poles did not fly away in the wind.

You have probably already figured out that botanical field work in NW Scotland does not wait for warm and sunny weather.

The next day, we ventured into the birch woods on the steep northern flank of Ben Shieldaig, where primroses were still in bloom and the rocks were covered in a baffling variety of mosses. We are in 'temperate rainforest' habitat here. 

When Aberdeen neighbour Kirsty came over to stay in the middle of the week, we took a bit of time off the plant stuff and went for a nice walk along the coast (see 25 May post). 

But on the following morning I was disappointed to be left in the car while Gail, Kirsty and Graham checked out the plants in a native pinewood area (located too close to the North Coast 500 road for my safety). 

Finally, and just 'cos it's pretty, I'll leave you with a picture of me amid the bluebells near our cottage. 

Happy Nature Friday friends! Do go and visit the other posts in the LLB Gang's always enjoyable blog hop.

 

Free range puppy in Torridon

Celebrating reaching the age of four months by demonstrating my bold and independent terrier spirit on a walk to Rubha na h-Áirde Glaise.

Later the same day.

Look, I'm still only a puppy...