The Nab circuit

With a good forecast it was a question of 'What would you like to do today?' I replied that I knew what we 'ought' to do ....and so we set off for Angle Tarn Crags, Rest Dodd, The Nab and Brock Crags, in the hope that The Nab would be frozen. I suppose this means that I am definitely doing the Wainwright's a second time as it took me over half way and in my books, The Nab - well you wouldn't do it by choice! On the maps it looks like access is from Martindale, but it isn't, so it was onto Rest Dodd then down onto it, then back over Rest Dodd....Fortunately The Nab was frozen, so the peat hags were a scramble rather than a bog snorkel! Frozen ground and the snow patches hard ice...a full winter's day out. Done. 

Looking across Brother's Water to Farifiled and the Helvellyn range

Winter...

Angle Tarn.

Looking to High Raise with the peat hags of The Nab below.

Zooming in to The Nab...

A lovely frozen pond ...and a photo stop...

Washed out winter; the stems are Bog Asphodel.

Looking to Rest Dodd - on the far right.

The summit.

Looking along The Nab after a steep descent.

Back to the col between Rest Dodd and Brock Crags.

A late lunch stop with a view to the steep lump that is Hartsop Dodd - it leads to a super horseshoe though.

High Street with snow...

..and a final view over Angle Tarn . rather that the direct route back to the path below Angle Tarn Crags we retraced our steps, admittedly cutting off the corner, to the main path at the col- easier walking.

Skate case tideline

After the storm, a walk out along the beach - I wasn't going to bother taking photographs for a blog, until I looked closely at the tideline! There must be an awful lot of Skate in the Solway! 

Tideline with Criffel in the background.

Sponges tossed up by the storm....

Peat too....

And then you notice the Skate cases...

With Whelk and Dog Fish cases too....

'Mermaid's Purses': Lesser- spotted Dog Fish egg cases

..and a mobile tideline of Knot. 

Into the Grykes

Before the storm, a visit to Gaitbarrows NNR with a dual purpose: photographing grykes for my 'Karst' project and hoping to see a Hawfinch.... both of which were achieved, as well as a very pleasant walk....

We probably saw at least 5 Hawfinches, but no photographs as they were distant but very distinctive with their heavy beaks. As always I got lost! I never seem to get the hang of the footpaths on this site! 

Foggy Grouse

On Sunday the forecast was that early mist would give way to sunshine - it didn't! As we drove into Teesdale the temperature dropped to minus 4 and it was 'as thick as a bag'. So no Short-eared Owls or Black Grouse ...we then decided to continue up to Cow Green Reservoir for a walk down to Cauldron Snout. As the revs rocketed and wheels began to spin ...hmm...we parked up in the carpark at the reservoir and found that we could hardly stand up, even on rough surfaces. So a walk along the edge of the road ....

It was atmospheric with lots of Red Grouse calling. It did clear out a little bit, so we had a glimpse of the reservoir before we returned and slid our way down to Langdon Beck for lunch - an excellent roast beef sandwich with roast potatoes - to be recommended! In the slightly better visibility we were able to see 18 Black Grouse in their usual field before returning home. Back in Cumbria it wasn't half as nice: cold and dank - I'll take the cold and frost any day! 

Sheet black ice.

The view....

Red Grouse.

Spot the grouse.

Looking upstream from Cauldron Snout.

Cladonia cups in the frost...

Frosty...

Finally a break in the cloud/fog.

Spectacular lichens at Langdon Beck...

...and Black Grouse in the fog!

Talkin Tarn

Well  the weather really isn't very inspirational at the moment - so a walk round Talkin Tarn. Rocky is also on short walks only, preferably keeping him clean. He pulled something in his leg when being over enthusiastic in the snow and decided as his 'elbow' hurt, he would nibbled it, thus making a large sore patch requiring antibiotics, rest and bathing. Not much to photograph at Talkin Tarn - nice to see so many Treecreepers plus Nuthatch, Goldcrests and the usual duck species. We aslo stopped on the roadside on the way home to look at a large mixed flock of Pink-footed Geese and Greylag Geese. 

Moorhen....

Little Grebe.

Whooper Swans behind the Pink-feet and Greylags.

Young Whoopers.

Pink-feet.