Lake District, June/July. Day 7.

Although still not wonderful the MWIS forecast was more promising today so we were up early and off to Honister Pass. We were soon climbing up the very steep path up from the car park and heading across the moor to drop down to Dubs hut, a mountain bothy open for anyone to spend the night. From here it was a short descent to the stream crossing where Thomas and I coaxed Heather over and then we contoured round to Warnscale Bothy tucked in underneath a beetling scrr slope. I had been here briefly in April leaving Heather back the the stream crossing. I had felt guilty at the time as it was always something that Thomas and I were going to do together, hence this visit. It was good this time to get there with Heather and Thomas and spend a little more time taking in the views and atmosphere whild we had lunch.

Leaving Heather at the bothy with her sketching materials, Thomas and I then continued steeply up towards Haystacks, The famous guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright's favourite fell; his ashes are scattered at nearby Inominate Tarn. As we climbed up towards the summit I took great delight in gazing around at some of the biggest fells of Lakeland: imposing Great Gable, the huge bulk of Kirkfell and the towering Steeple and Pillar. It had been a long time since I had been up amont these fells and there was a time not so long ago because of heart surgery, heart failue and a pacemaker, that I thought my mountain days were over. I may be somewhat limited in waht I cam manage nowadays but at least I can still get up there;  it was a particular joy to be up there with Thomas. We didn't spend long on the summit as we knew that Heather would be waiting for us. The descent, as always was much quicker than the climb and we were soon back down with Heather who was waiting for us at the stream crossing. A quick climb up to Dubs hut and then we continued up through the quarry workings and descended steeply back to the car. The pint in the Traveller's Rest on the main road near Grasmere was especially welcome.

Haystacks from the track to Warnscale Bothy.

Dubs Hut

Warnscale Bothy

Warnscale Bothy

Haystacks and High Stile beyond

Blackbeck Tarn and Great Gable

Innominate Tarn

Innominate Tarn

Lichen

Lichen

Wild Thyme

Lichen

Stonecrop

Lake District, June/July. Day 6

The main plan for the weekend was to waly up Haystacks from Honister Pass visiting Warnscale Bothy on the way. As it was, this morning the weather was not promising and both the Met Office forecast and the Mountain Weather Information Service were equally depressing. Instead a visit to Ambleside for a fruitless search for camping gaz cylinders was the order of the day. Ambleside was its usual busy and bustling self and, despite the lack of camping gaz we had an enjoyable day completed by a meal in the Whistling Pig on the site.

Lake District,June/July. Day 5

Another cool and damp start to the day. As we were due to pick our son Thomas up from work in Lancaster, we decided to try once more to visit Lancaster Castle. As it is still a working court (and served as a prison until 2011) it is necessary to visit as part of a guided tour. We have tried twice in the past and for various reasons it has been closed. This time we were successful,however, and we found it fascinating and gruesome in equal measure. 

By the time we picked Thomas up the weather had improved and we were able to sit outside and BBQ when we got back to the caravan.

Lake District, June/July. Day 4.

The weather has turned cool, showery and breezy today. After two hectic days we have had one of catching up. I went for a run in the morning and have spent the afternoon reading and blogging. Butternut squash curry for tea.

Lake District, June/July. Day 3.

Today, we set out to explore a new loctation that we have found out about two years ago: Smardale Nature Reserve, managed by Cumbrial Wildlife Trust. It is based around the now disused Tebay - Darlington railway line. The old track bed makes for easy walking above Scandale Beck. The valley and slope above the line are initially clothed in andcient woodland where redstart, pied flycatcher and spotted flycatcher can be found. We didn't locate the first two but I was pleased to photograph spotted flycatcher and near the start I was pleased to see my first house martins of the year. Both house and tree sparrows were seen along with other notables such as willow warbler, blackcap, siskin and goldcrest. Further along the line the surroundings opened up and at Smardale Viaduct we could see the beck down in the valley and limestone grassland on the slopes. The reserve is also known for its plants and butterflies. Butterfly highlights are scotch argus, the only other English location being Arnside Knott where I have photographed it. Unfortunately we didn't see this species but we did come across quite a few northern brown argus which were too flighty for photography in the warm weather, although, again, I have photographed them at Arnside Knott. Other butterflies seen were plenty of speckled woods and ringlets a single white and one red admiral. Apart from this butterflies were scarce as I hve noted in other places both at home and here. I have not seen a single butterfly at Ashes Lane yet. Plant specialities on the reserve are bloody cranesbill and rockrose as well as a range of orchids; we saw numerous common spotted, pyramidal and fragrant.

By the time we got back to the car we were very hot and thirsty. Fortunately we had left a bottle of refeshingly cold water in the car and when we arrived back at the site it was beer o'clock.

Speckled Wood

Smardale

Bloody Cranesbill

Bloody Cranesbill

Rockrose

Smardale Viaduct

Fleeting glimpse of northern brown argus

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Fragrant Orchid

Melancholy Thistle

Lake District, June/July. Day 2

A lazy day (we thought) was the order of the day today so, after a relaxed start, we we set out to walk across the fields to Stavely liitle realising how hot it was going to be. We returned home after 4.6 miles totally wiped out. To add insult to injury, both The Eagle and Child and Hawkshead Brewery wer closed so we retired to our regular spot of Wilf's, always good. We were interested to see how the new wildland above the site is developing. It is heavily fenced off and we don't very much like the preponderance of very obvious Private Land, Keep Off notices. We did enjoy the beautiful grasses which have been able to grow now that the sheep have been taken off the land.

Once home and recovered I declared it beer o'clock and began to prepare to BBQ. We again we sat out in the late evening enjoying the warmth.

Lake District June July. Day 1

Yesterday we had driven over to stay with our daughter for a birthday BBQ on the way up to the caravan at Ashes Lane on the edge of the Lake district. We had an early start on the Monday and arrived mid afternoon in idyllic weather. We were soon set up and relaxing in the hot sun; so different from our visit in April, when it seemed to rain all the time. We had brought our first meal with us so we were able to enjoy spag bol sitting outside watching the sun gradually set. A good start to our stay.

A First Visit to Tetney Blow Wells.

It was the 21st June, the day after the summer solstice and the longest day of the year as we walked into the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's Tetney Blow Wells Reserve. It was a beautifully warm and sunny morning with temperatures up to 27C as befitted the longest day which can be a moveable feast. Often on 21st June but occasionally the 20th, as this year or the 22nd. The exact day and time depends on when the sun reas its northernmost point from the celestial equator and so it won't always occur on the same day. As we stood at the nearest pond we could see a single four spotted chaser dragonfly and a solitary white butterfly; the only dragonfly of the day and one of few butterflies. We did see quite a few meadow brown butterflies (10) however, 1 ringlet and a couple of speckled woods. Numbers were well down on what I would have expected at this time of the year. I am sure that the wet weather over the past months is making its presence felt. We did better on the bird front with 20 species, the highlights being blackcap, sedge warbler, cetti's warbler and kingfisher.

A Breezy Day at Bempton

 Driving down Cliff Lane from Bempton Village to the cliff top reserve of RSPB Bemton Cliffs, the verdant verges were thick with cow parsley, hogweed, red campion and dog roses in full bloom. Although it has seemed a dank and gloomy spring it has actually been the midest May on record and the wettest. The warmest only by virtue of the mild nights. This mild wet weather, though, has been a boon for plant life and we have lately been noticing how rich and lush everything looks. The land is wet, however, and our woodland burial ground in Scartho, still remains flooded. A few days ago we had a torrential storm hit scartho with 20mm of rain and hail in 45 minutes (over 30 in the 24 hour period). Our garden was flooded several inches deep and our village of scartho was flooded with water coming up through the drains into the shops. None-the-less as we parked in the carpark at Bempton the weather was fine and sunny with temperatures close to 20C in the afternoon.

We  could glimpse the steel blue of the sea with a fishing boat surrounded by gulls looking for easy pickings. As we walked along the cliff top path gannets were cruising at eye level and made for excellent photo opportunities. Out at sea a sailing yacht heeled over with the strong westerly breeze and later during the afternoon the tourist boat from Bridlington, The Yorkshire Belle, steamed past full of bird watchers admiring the cliff spectacular of 'seabird city'. All the usual bird suspects were present with large numbers of auks (razorbills and guillemots and the occasional puffin), gannets and kittiwakes. Occasional fulmars were present, although, perhaps, fewer than in previous years and large flocks of feral pigeons. We even had dolphins perfoming for the crowds of eager watchers. I always enjoy seeing tree sparrows at Bempton, a reliable spot for them. As a boy, I remember them being numerous in Lincolnshire but I rarely see them 60 years later and it is always a joy when I do. Leighton Moss and North Cave Wetlands are other good locations for them.

We finished our day on the reserve with a cup of tea in the visitor centre before heading into Bridlington to look for fish and chips, nearly as difficult to find at 6.00 in the evening as tree sparrows.

Fulmar

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet

Herring Gull

Jackdaw

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Linnet

Razorbill

Razorbill

Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow

The Yorkshire Bell