SKUNK

Date day has been like an oasis in this busy week. I am so glad the Prof and I decided to keep Wednesdays special in the last couple of years. It was grey here, but the Met Office promised a break in the clouds to the west, so we headed to Crarae Gardens on Loch Fyne, where the sun broke through the clouds and we had a lovely walk around the gorge. Lots of images to chose from: blood red rhododendrons, woody cones, sparkling waterfalls and cheery daffs, but I was most intrigued by this hoverfly exploring his skunk cabbage 'tent'.

I was kneeling on some soggy ground with the sun in my eyes when I took the shot, so accidentally missed the head, but I was pleased to have such a good view of the wing, not least because it reveals the two features that identify it as a hoverfly - the false vein running down the middle of the wing and the false margin. Which hoverfly it is, however, has me stumped so far, but given there are 240 species in the UK, that's hardly a reason for shame.

Lunch at the Oyster Bar was...interesting. I am not sure I like the refurbishment.