We have been really privileged over the past weeks to be able to watch the three Osprey chicks preparing to fledge at Campfield Marsh, down on the Solway Plain. A quick visit last week in the sunshine was good for butterflies too!
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| The adults Ospreys were sat on the fence... |
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| While the young were clearly visible. |
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| Small Tortoiseshell. |
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| Red Admiral. |
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| Peacock. |
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| Speckled Wood. |
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| Wall Brown. |
Well it's that time of year on the fells - as we found out on Stone Arthur: Flying Ant season!
An early start: a) to get parking and b) as it was forecast to be 25 degrees, we wanted to be heading down before it got too hot. Stone Arthur is a Wainwright that gives a nice view out across to Crinkle Crags and Harrison Stickle, over Rydal Water and Grasmere. It is however, very much a straight up and then a straight down route if you do it from Grasmere (parking at the bottom of Dunmail Raise), which we did as it was just a single Wainwright that I needed to pick off on my second round.
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| Looking across to Stone Arthur from the roadside parking. |
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| After walking round behind the Swan Hotel there is a finger post to the track that leads to the fell and onto Stone Arthur, but the finger has fallen off! Dried up beck - note the nice Chicken of the Woods on the distant tree. |
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| A steep stepped path leads up onto the fell. |
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| The view soon begins to open out. |
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| The summit - note the 'ant-haze' around the stone. |
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| Ants! |
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| More ants.. |
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| And on the way back down a Golden-ringed Dragonfly. |
When much of the UK is sweltering, it's a real treat to be able to have perfect conditions on the fell tops. Rocky did really well as we did Selside and Branstree, he's not getting any younger, - both above Haweswater. We arrived at about 9:15 to find parking to be relatively easy at Mardale Head - it soon filled up after that! Walking back down the road for a mile we soon came to the signed Corpse Road that takes you from the village of Mardale (under the reservoir) over to Swindale Head and then on, although the exact route isn't known, to Shap. Before you drop down at all, the path to Selside peels off to the right and takes the broad ridge across upland grassland to the summit and on to Branstree. A very pleasant walk, especially as it was so dry underfoot. After Branstree we dropped down to Gatesgarth Pass and back down to the carpark, leaving Harter Fell and beyond for another day.
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| Some of the walls beginning to emerge from Haweswater. |
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| On the way up the Corpse Road, looking up towards Harter Fell. |
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| The path to Selside is on the horizon. |
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| Selside top. |
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| Rocky still likes to be first! Not quite the top of Branstree, but a better cairn than the one on the summit! |
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| And back down... |
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| And home! |
When I was a child, we lived in Somerset by the river Tone. We were lucky to have the river at the bottom of the garden (not so lucky when it rained heavily!) and I enjoyed summer days rowing a very small boat up and down. The fringing vegetation included Branched Bur Reed and it has always been a favourite of mine and not something I often see in Cumbria. So, when we parked up to go to Saligo Bay on Islay and there was a clump in the roadside ditch there were plenty of photos taken. Immediately after Islay I had a fused glass session booked, so there was my inspiration....it is a trial piece for a larger piece. The larger piece will also include a Beautiful Demoiselle - a type of Damselfly made including lovely reflective dichroic glass. In the meantime here is the trial piece:
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| The trial piece and inspiration. |
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| Detail. |
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| In situ... |
A glorious late afternoon trip to the Northern Cumbrian Fells and an annual pilgrimage to find the Bog Orchid. The bog was still damp and we found two flowering spikes. There were plenty of Keeled Skimmers buzzing around and the Great Sundew looked in good health.
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| A nice and tall Bog Orchid. |
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| Less tall.... |
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| Great Sundew.... |
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| Keeled Skimmer. |
It was such nice weather last week that I was able to get a few ten minute sketches done ...
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| From Killard Point. |
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| Giant's Causeway. |
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| Giant's Causeway. |
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| White Park Bay. |
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| Toberpatrick. |
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| Toberpatrick. |
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| Cushendun. |
On our way back from Magilligan Point we stopped to admire the Thyme Broomrapes on a roadside cutting; spectacular, even though they were over!
