Not today....

With sunshine and a light breeze forecast we headed down to Leighton Moss to see the Bearded Reedlings - at this time of year they come down to the grit trays - not today though! A glorious autumnal day though with some nice light...

An empty grit tray...

There were lots of dragonflies around - here a Migrant Hawker landed in the reeds...

Swampy...

Reeds.

Aspen beginning to yellow-up.

Alder.

Spindle.

Just a nice stump.

At this time of year there isn't a lot of wildfowl around...

Great White Egret.

Gadwall.

Red Deer.

And down at the coastal hides - Redshank.

The last summer Adder

A trip down the moss, in autumn sunshine, gave us a great Adder encounter - possibly the last for the season.

An autumnal feel with plenty of fungi, a Migrant Hawker and a distant Marsh Harrier. We are so lucky!

The colours of autumn.

Late summer sun....

A well camouflaged Common Darter.

And a gorgeous curled Adder.

Reflections. The moss is wetting up nicely.

And the same Adder was out on the way back ...quite a length.

And off....

Plenty of difficult to identify fungi....

Migrant Hawker.

And some colourful Cross-leaved Heath. 

Loch Druidibeg

A while back I posted that I was inspired by the colours and textures of the RSPB's Loch Druidibeg NNR on South Uist -  Click here for photos. 

Colours and textures ....

I began by enjoying some gelli printing and dying to create the base fabrics based on the colours and texture of the reserve, which were then patchworked, quilted and embroidered to create the finished piece.

Royal Fern gelli printing.

Hand coloured and embroidered.

And putting it all together ......

The finished piece....

A long day: Looking Stead; Pillar; Little Scoat Fell; Steeple; Scoat Fell and Red Pike

A cracking and hard walk on a glorious day. We parked at Wasdale Head before heading up Mosedale Beck to Black Sail Pass - note to self for next time take the path to the right of the beck to avoid having to cross it!  From the top of Black Pass it was on to Looking Stead for some spectacular views before heading along to Pillar. After that a few prolonged stony/bouldery sections for which poor Rocky needed undignified bunk-ups, (he was so good though) and on to Little Scoat Fell summit. Then it was on to Steeple, where Rocky took a break with Steve while I popped down and back. Then, on to Scoat Fell, before a very pleasant walk onto Red Pike, before the inevitable down - this time not down Dorehead Screes, but a longer, less dangerous walk down Over Beck and then along the road back to Wasdale Head.  

Looking towards Wasdale Head...

Hoping that the cloud will lift...From here, Great Gable and also the Scafells.

Towards Looking Stead from Black Sail Pass.

Black Sail Youth Hostel and some fabulous Moraines in the top end of Ennerdale.

Rocky on the top of Pillar.

Rocky waiting patiently as we went up to the top of Little Scoat Fell - we left him while we went up as he'd had enough of boulders!

Me on the top of Steeple.

The Red Pike ridge...

..before we began to drop down - with fabulous views .....

Zooming in to Scafell Pike...

..and Scafell

And Great Gable.

Heading down...

...into the late afternoon sun....

And a walk along the road.

A welcome view!

A quick stop on the way back to admire the screes.