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Completely new to me - about 10 of these tiny flies were on one of my thistles yesterday - they are thistle gall flies evidently - look at the rainbow eyes.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
An 8 minute exposure which necessitated hunkering down in the dunes, tripod slung low to get out of the hooley that was threatening to turn me and my camera inside out!
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robin ~ erithacus rubecula
RSPB Green status list.
I think the sparrowhawk or another predator is around at times. The local birds are completely spooked again and when they come into the garden to the feeders there are always birds on the lookout ready to give the alarm call.
Banded demoiselle (male) posing beautifully in spite of the high wind gusts currently prevailing. The scientific name suits it perfectly - Calopteryx splendens
Tolkien's Masterpiece
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Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens. Single shot, manual focus, manual WB, natural ambient light. Raw file into Affinity Photo but basically SOOC.
From the Richard Harvey Studio One
Approximately 5cm across, growing at the base of a tree. As yet unidentified.
Martinhole Wood, Corringham, Essex UK
Managed to capture a long exposure of the sunrise on the Buachaille. I had to be quick as these moments don't last too long. Luckily the clouds had plenty of movement to them and although the sky looked grey it turns out there was actually plenty of blue hidden in there.
St Peter's Kirk stands south of the road leading to Gordonstoun School about a quarter of a mile east of the village of Duffus. It is sometimes referred to as St Peter's Church; as Duffus Old Parish Church; as Duffus Old Kirk; or just as Peter Kirk.
You approach St Peter's Kirk along a grassy lane that runs south from the minor road from Duffus. There is space to park on the north side of the road without causing an obstruction, or you can walk from Duffus. A sign on the inner gate tells visitors where the key to the church is is kept, though access around and views into the church are so good that many visitors probably choose to do without.
Nice old church ruins dating from around 1190, built by de Moray, the builder of Duffus Castle. Sits in a clearing in the woods a hundred yards or so from the road. There is a rare Mercat Cross in the graveyard. Close to Duffus Castle.
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Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens. 2s delayed shutter, 4 image focus merge, overhead light, tweak to white balance and small 3:2 crop in Affinity Photo..
From the Richard Harvey Kitchen Studio
Photography Week magazine have very kindly published this image in issue no. 571.
If ever there was a case for going out in all weathers this - for me at least - is the reason - atmosphere.
So often these sightings go together - no sooner had the bittern flown off than a water rail ran out of the reeds. Rallus aquaticus
Normanton Church with boat in front. Shot at dusk on a summers evening using ND grad filters, 6 second exposure.
After a few weeks of working non-stop, followed by a week of migranes, it was nice to have a stress free hour outdoors this morning... can feel the seasons changing already.
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The old viaduct arches catching the sun. Not often seen as the mountainside shields it for most of the day.
Rainy day photography - pitcher plants make great house plants and have the advantage of being highly photogenic. They are carnivorous relying on a source of insects but they don't seem to need many to survive.
"Yeah, Dud me old mate it's an Apple tree. That's what they have. And if you eat a small one like that you're gonna get indigestion...".
An older and wiser Freddie, having passed on his wisdom, looks on whilst distancing himself from the whole episode.
(SOOC shot)
A WW2 pillbox stands on the Fobbing Marshes, near to the abandoned Oozedam Farm, Fobbing, Essex UK.
I have previously been unable to clearly photograph this pillbox as it has been used variously as a dumping ground or for equipment storage, apart from being overgrown with weeds. Today I found the ground has been cleared, for what purpose I can only speculate.
(SOOC shot)