Pied fox and daffodils

It was a brighter, calmer day than yesterday, the right conditions for an expedition over the Knott to Far Arnside for the annual homage to the wild daffodils that grow there in profusion. Finding the right place to kneel down where the subject matter won't be crushed under the knees and bum is a challenge. But I got myself into position and who should come along the path but the Arnside pied fox. He was looking a bit weary, as was I - this walk, short though it is by previous standards, is just about at the limit of both of our ranges at the moment. It was worth it though.

I've never figured out what determines the occurrence of stands of the wild daffodils here on the Knott. Here they occur in hazel coppice close to Morecambe Bay, in great abundance, and clearly propagating themselves effectively to judge from the large number of young, blind plants. There is nothing apparently unusual about this habitat (apart from perhaps that there are also quite a few green hellebore plants in amongst the daffs). Yet, the distribution of the plant around the Knott is discontinuous, with scattered isolated colonies in woodland and on wood edges, with no clear preference for angle of slope or aspect. Just another satisfying botanical mystery.