Not Much About

Another slow trip over into Birkdale then up West Stonesdale and on down Swaledale before climbing up and over to Leyburn in Wensleydale. Return journey into the low sun along the North side of the Dale to The Moorcock then North.

A couple of red grouse made an appearance as we decended into the head of Birkdale then a Kestrel hovering over the steeply sloping meadows catching the sun on its plumage




Other sitings were mainly LBJs or Corvids apart from this covey of Partridge




This year we have only seen one Black Grouse Cock and no hen birds. Three years ago there were nine cocks about and we saw four to five hen birds. Have the two hard winters driven them elsewhere or have they found new ground.

Reflective moments at Cley

Spent the day with my G-daughter at NWT reserve at Cley, Norfolk. Somewhat cloudy with mist blowing across the scrapes. Plenty of Avocets feeding, a few Cootes and Moorhens about. Shelduck in number and Pochard. Had my camera monopolised by GD but did manage to get a few lucky pictures as did she amongst the many. Most of the time the birds were too far away to get quality shots but here are the highlights. A reflective moment for a Greylag Goose. An Avocet caught in flight just pointed the camera and hoped - two part shots and this. Must try to get my eye to the view finder next time!
A little luckier with this pair of ?? ducks, though the background confuses the subject.
A long shot of a marsh harrier bringing in a reed stem for nest building. The stem is probably 5 to 6 feet long, this was the average for the reed beds. The misty conditions added to the distance result in a lack of sharpness to the photo but I include it for the interest.

Three caught by my GD (aged 7)

Shellduck having a stretch.

Two Avocet and Black Headed Gulls


A Lapwing

First Blog...

Just to record my (our) sightings and wanderings. My home patch is the Upper Eden valley to the East of the English Lake District in Cumbria. Over the hill is Swaledale and round the corner Wensledale. "It's over there!" is our perennial cry whenever we spot something. Being limited in stamina, if its too far off the road then we cannot reach it so we depend on field glasses, scope, dslr for spotting & identification. Also local knowledge of where to stop and wait for that bird or animal to come by.

Travelling down the M6 yesterday highlights were three buzzards, over Ash Fell; East of Lancaster and over Prestbury. The latter being over suburbs (all be it posh suburbs with large semi woodland gardens).