COLSNAUR is one of my favourite hills in the Ochils and the view from the top looking westwards across Menstrie Glen and towards the Trossachs in the far distance is truly spectacular.

Last week, I embarked upon an interesting circuit taking in Myreton Hill, Colsnaur Hill and returning back through the newly planted Jerah Forest in Menstrie Glen.

It was a wonderful walk, with wildlife brimming at every turn, including several recently fledged wheatears, who bounded away from me on flickering wings, their white tails catching the sunlight.

Wheatears are delightful little summer visitors to the Ochils, most frequently found in boulder fields or along drystane dykes, where they like to nest.

Meadow pipits were also ubiquitous, rising up before my feet, their thin piping calls filling the air.

On descending Colsnaur, a wonderful purple glimmering on the ground caught my eye.

It was a clump of mountain pansies, real flowering gems that are so exquisite in their compelling beauty.

Most mountain pansies in the Ochils are purple, but occasionally yellow ones occur.

There was also a profusion of bird's-foot trefoil by the track verges, and in among their creeping yellow-flowers several blaeberry bumblebees buzzed and hovered.

Blaeberry bumblebees are a relatively scarce species and it is wonderful that the Ochils holds a good population of these dazzling pollinators.

Blaeberry bumblebees can easily be recognised by their small size, combined with russet rear-ends.

They just adore sunshine, and if it becomes cloudy or it starts to rain, they suddenly disappear, seeking shelter beneath plants or down in their underground nests.