Woodland Treasure!

We avoided the forecast rain today (we will pay tomorrow)!

Up to the cottage late morning to collect Mother's terrier for the day and cut her lawn in the warm sunshine.  The light was good so I took a couple of shots that I had had my eye on, then up to the local forest with all the dogs.  The young terriers running for all they were worth, it must be great fun being only a foot high and able to running round under all the trees!  The old collie wandering along in the rear and me wandering vaguely in the middle!

I love the contrast between the Buttercup and Cotinus leaves.

At last I found an Astrantia with the right background and lighting.

The real treasure trove of the walk was this wild orchid, it looks like a Southern Marsh-Orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa, though we are possibly a little too far north here and it was on the small size (that could be the northern climate).  It is the first time I have seen any orchid in these particular woods, though I have seen one variety in Kielder Forest.