Thursday 20 May 2021

Lake District, May, Day2

Heavy raindrop 5.00 - 7.00 this morning after which it cleared to beautifully warm day with mixed sun and clouds.  After breakfast we walked over the fields to Staveley.   There were dramati skies over the Kentmere hills where it seemed to be raining heavily.  We were in sun, however, and were thrilled by the lilting bubbling songs of curlew, which we found out later, nest up on these fields.  As we walked by the river into the village we delighted in seeing a female goosander with a brood of 8 chick's.  Another pair were around d as well and giving her a bit of hassle.  Te and scones the decking at rear of Wilf's was the order of the day and an excellent cheese scone it was too. I was photographing the river when with a whir of wings a dipper sped down the river and settled on the upper wall of the old fish pass of the weir where it began to bob or dip up and down in the manner which gave the bird its name.  Suddenly it zipped up to a cavity in the wall above where there seemed to be a nest.  Immediately another bird appeared, bobbing on the fish race Wall.  Excitement, indeed, hopefully I will be able to get back with the big lens.  Returns over the field to the site we were stopped in our tacks by the scent of bluebells coming from Ashes plantation.  Peering over the wall we were greeted by a haze of blue blue disappearing into the distance.  Back at the van it was time for a cup of tea sitting out in the sun before heading off again.  During lunch I was fascinated by the constantly  changing cloudscape above me against the cerulean blue of the sky.  Delicate tendrils of cumulus teased apart and coalesced again while much higher fragile cirrus clouds streamed out in the jet stream winds.  After this interlude the first stop was Ratherheath Woods to photograph the bluebells here.  There was again a wonderful display with the whole wood a carpet of cobalt.  Moving on we drove down the M6 to Galgate and on to Condor Green to the viewing point over some pools in between the small estuary of the River Condor wher it joined the larger Lune estuary and the offshoot of the Lancaster Canal to Glasson Dock.  The pools were busy with activity with the colony of blackheaded gulls being noisily belligerent with each other and the other residents, their raucous screams filling the air.  Common terns were nesting and squabbling with the gulls as were oystercatchers.  Stand and Canada geese quietly got on with life.  Shallows and house martins skimmed through the air and settled on the poolside to gather mud for their nests.  In the air they were joined by sand martins.  I had come for the avocet of which there seemed to be about half a dozen pairs all with chicks.  The chicks pottered about in the edges of the scrape picking up small items of food off the surface.  They were miniscule balls of fluff on unsteady legs and were watched over by ad9ults which aggressively drove away any intruder into their territory.  A roe deer appeared and wandered over towards the canal.  As I was leaving I noticed a flock of bar tailed godwit on the side of the estuary, some in full summer plumage.  Fabulous, but sadly too far away for photography which would anyway been against the light.  Time was pressing as well as we had to be at Thomas's for a bbq.

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On the way to Staveley, Kentmere beyond.
Outside Wilf's
Outside Wilf's
The River Kent in Stavely
The River Kent in Stavely
Looking back towards the Kentmere Fells.
Looking back towards the Kentmere Fells.
Ashes Village
On the way back to the van from Staveley
Ashes Plantation
Rather Heath Woods
Rather Heath Woods
Rather Heath Woods
The Bluebell Wood
Bluebells
Bluebells
Bluebells
The Bluebell Wood
Avocet, Condor Green
Avocet with chick, Condor Green
Avocet, Condor Green

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