Lord's Seat, Barf, Broom Fell and Graystones circuit

With a good forecast, for February, time to resume Round II of the Wainwrights. A few snow showers and a fresh breeze at times...and a horrid descent at the end. Nice to see plenty of frog's spawn too.

One of the highlights of the day was a twittering flock of 30+ siskin in the carpark - they were there when we returned too - not easy to photogrpah against the sky though! 

The track up to Lord's Seat with some lovely 'Sphagnum Flows'.

Sphagnum.

Western Hemlock.

Dripping moss...

The four summits.

Looking from Lord's Seat down onto Barf..incoming snow over Skiddaw.

Sunlight over Grasmoor. 

The wall-path down off Graystones.

Looking back up at wall-path ...

Absracting Norfolk!

So I started off gelli printing and get a couple of what I would regard as good images...and several not so good. I took one 'not so good' and rolled acryllic paint on it, added oil pastel, and some ink. I then put a masking tape grid on top of it and added more ink before removing the grid and cutting out the blocks ...I like some of them ...what to do next is the question! 

The starting point ...

The final piece before chopping up...

Some of the cut up blocks - and below ...

Wedholme Flow

 A sunny, but chilly in the shade kind of day and a walk round Wedholme Flow NNR. Lots of Teal, Shellduck, Kestrel, a Whooper Swan, Heron and lots of Wrens skulking round. Bright colours when the sun was out and subtle wintery shades when it went in .....

Hare's-tail Cottongrass - Eriophorum Vaginatum in flower.

Coltsfoot pushing through.

Scarlet Elf Cups

It was lovely to find such an extensive patch of scarlet elf cups so close to home. Punctuating the leaf litter and moss with their vibrant reds, they shone in today's welcome sunshine! In European folklore it is said that wood elves drank the morning dew from them...

Mawbray waders

On Sunday it was an 11 O'Clock high tide - plenty of birds roosting on the shore, but especially nice to see the Knot and Bar-tailed Godwits. 

Mawbray looking rather un-spring like.

High tide roost.

Carefully approaching ...

Keeping our distance so no disturbance - Rocky the dog is very  patient!

Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot and Oystercatchers...and below.

Norfolk Birding Highlights

Just so they are in one place - some of my favourite bird photographs from last week. In no particular order - not necessarily the rare - some are - or the colourful some are - or just the representative - some are and some are not! 

Greylags.

Wigeon.

Long-billed Dowitcher.

Shoveller.

Moorhen.

Spoonbill.

Snow Buntings.

Kestrel.

Shorelark.

Grey Plover.

Water Rail.

Brent Geese.

Curlew.