Fireweed 'Firework'

So lovely to have the temperate weather back. I put one of MrQ's fleeces on for my walks with Ollie. We stood under the southerly oak tree and it felt like being on the deck of a yacht in the fresh west wind. It made me feel quite nostalgic for my sailing days.

We had rain on and off. Ollie and I went exploring in the large aluminium block during one of the showers. This rosebay willowherb has gone to seed but because it's under cover the seeds haven't dispersed. I didn't know that the plant is edible. The pith in the stems is very nutritious and tastes like cucumber. It's known as fireweed as it's one of the first plants to colonise areas affected by forest fires. Another name is bombweed as it grew rapidly on bombsites in WWII.  

We have been greeting a wood pigeon on its nest for a while now. I've felt so sorry for it in its south-facing position in the heat. We've found the remains of two of its relatives and one of Pheasy Boy's wives, probably taken by Reynard, Hermeline and the cubs. The bird wasn't on the nest at all today, hope it hasn't met the same fate.