That's cheating!!

As I'm sure you are aware the safari has been going up to a local Otter 'hotspot' a few times recently. So far without success. whilst we were there the last time my brother (not the marathon runner, another one) phoned base Camp for a natter. He was told I was out Otter spotting to which he replied "oh, I saw one the other daywhen I was out with the children feeding the ducks at the river. I even managed to get a picture of it on my phone!"

The lucky swine!!! and here is said photo of the Otter skulking past doing its best to avoid having half a loaf of bread thrown at it.

If only the safari could get pics like that...so why don't we go round to my brother's and do a stake out along his stretch of riverbank? Sadly it's not that easy as he lives over the sea and far away in Ireland.

Where to next? Tomorrow (22nd May) is International Biologcal Diversity Day and this years theme is Alien Invaders. There are plenty of them around here causing mischief; so expect a rant.

In the meantime let us know who has been out and about in your outback stealing your thunder.

PS The following day, 23rd May, is World Turtle Day and as there have been a couple of recentish records along our coast I'll write a short blurb about them.

AND don't forget, as if you needed reminding, Be Nice to Nettles Week ends on 24th...again something suitable stinging might be winging its way to you on Sunday.

Bye for now.

Way up north

But still in south Lakeland. Not safari-ing as such this time but following the Windermere marathon. Why?...'cos my brother was doing his best to win it! He didn't; opting to come an extremely creditable tenth and actually first for his age group...well done him.

The race started at Brathay Hall. I worked there as a kitchen porter for a very enjoyable season 20++ years ago. Managed to climb most of the nearby Lakeland Fells over the winter and spring, following in the footsteps of one A. Wainwright...still the author of he world's most accuraate and best guide books...in fact I managed to get to the summit of the only 'mountain' he didn't and did a fair few scrambles that the great man would never have attempted.

The highest point of the hill behind is Todd Crag a minor summit on the low fell Loughrigg, but a stunning vantage point despite its lack of feet and inches.

AW was inspired by the easy walk up Orrest Head to a similarly lowly but impressive viewpoint.

Wikipedia says of him - In 1930, at the age of 23, Wainwright saved up enough money for a week's walking holiday in the Lake District with his cousin Eric Beardsall. They arrived in Windermere and climbed the nearby hill Orrest Head, where Wainwright saw his first view of the Lakeland fells. This moment marked the start of what he would later describe as his love affair with the Lake District.

Back to the race - at this point apparently it was - and I quote - "a stroll in the park" (9 miles). A cheesy grin for the supporters on the roadside.

A few miles further on and it is obvious its not that easy.

BTW the lady wearing no 3 in the yellow vest is nearing the finish of her TENTH marathon in ten days...one a day over the same course...the course my brother said later was the hardest he has ever done! hats off to her and the other 10 in 10ers.

While waiting at this point the best sighting of the weekend passed by - a very nice Aston Martin; what a beautiful sound they make.

At twenty miles - apparently 'half way'! He's totally focused, don't think he even noticed us!

He made it to the finish, looks like he's staggering a bit. I bet you would be too after 26 and a bit miles...especially as the last few hundred yards was up a long fairly steep hill, which most of the racers felt was a cruel way to end the most scenic marathon in the country.

Several minutes under three hours is no mean feat and despite us driving round in the car stopping at various points to cheer him on we only managed to make the finish line minutes before he rounded the last bend into view.

Back to the scenery the following shots are a panoramic view from the summit of Orrest Head starting looking south.

A Peregrine Falcon whizzed overhead here. And the summit is crowned by one of my favourite glacial features - a roche moutonee - a rock sheep, or a lump of rock smashed off by the glacier and subsquently polished smooth by the rubble at the base of the glacier. If you look closely you can still see the striations.

Another local beauty spot is Stock Gyll Force waterfall.

On the path up this tree had been growing around the safety fence for a good few years by the look of it.

The last beaty spot visited over the weekend was Tarn Hows.

An idylic Lakeland scene. The area is owned by the National Trust and they have introduced a small herd of the hardy rare breed cattle, Galloways, as conservation grazers to keep the Bracken at bay.

Meanwhile back at Lake Windermere in the gathering gloom Frank upset a Mute Swan.

And then sniffed out this rather deceased Pike, a reasonable size but not one of the Lake District's reputed monsters. sorry about the quality but it was lying in a couple of feet of water and the light was drawing in.

Where to next? Who knows - its all up in the air at the moment.

In the meantime let us know what your scenic beaty spots are like.

WOW!

The safari's extreme photographer, Raf, has been at it again...pick of his pics from last weekend's safari.

Common Lizard

Freshly emerged Mayfly.

Predatory Frog eying up its next meal.

Me n Frank - not allowed to enter the field of sheep to check out a pond so we take a well earned rest instead.

Beyond bizarre!?!

The Thrift is out in flower, and it is nearly time to look for the Thrift Clearwing moth which may, or may not, occur on this stretch of coast. I say 'look for' as if I've done it before but I've not actually had the chance yet. All very well meaning, but time, time, time...where does it go?

It is a very beautiful plant, one of my favourites. It takes all the winter wild weather and still comes up smelling of roses...does it? I'll have to stick my nose in a clump tomorrow morning and find out what if anything it does smell of.

But what have the photo above and the next one got in common?

Any ideas? The next is the same.

Got it yet? - I'll tell you then...they were all taken on super macro, you can see the reflection of the camera in the glass. The lens was only 2cm from the bird, possibly nearer the bird than the Thrift flower. I'll never ever get that close to a free flying wild bird again! The bird is a male Linnet and I first noticed him as something fluutering on the window ledge as I was walking down the corridor. Grabbing the camera I got the following shot off. But what on earth was it doing there?

Then I realised due to the mirror finish he couldn't see me and I was able to get right close.

We have had anti-glare mirrored film fitted to the windows and he could see his reflection in it and was distinctly unhappy - attacking 'himself' every so often, hence the futtering.

So why all the fuss? The female was building in the Gorse bush a foot the other side of the window.

And Mr Linnet was keeping a watchful protective eye on her.

Gorse, by the way, smells wonderfully of coconut shampoo.

So what could be more bizarre than taking a photo of a truly wild uninjured bird with the camera set on super macro?....This...it's surreal....A wind turbine powered old fashioned train!!!! Do I need to learn some photoshop techniques or what?

This is the brand spankingly newly refurbished Western Train tram immediately after its official (re)-inauguration. Can anyone else remember Casey Jones and the Cannonball Express...a steamin' an' a rollin'... whhoooo...whhoooo...

Yes...it even steams like the real thing.

It can only be Blackpool, glitzy, full of pazzazz and just a little bizarre...

Where to next? Frustratingly, I'm still struggling with the sea bird passage...doh...

In the meantime let us know what is the bizarrest thing in your outback.

You've had home - now we're going 'away'

The safari took a trip to the hills. Main quarry was Roe Deer. A bright sunny day but a stiff cool breeze. We scanned and scanned the scrub on the hillside for a glimpse of the elusive creatures. Nothing doing, no sign of a pale rump or a black nose lurking in the Rhododendrons. But not 20 yards further on we practically tripped over one. Approaching from downwind it had not smelt or heard us coming. Soon lept up and vanished into the nearest thicket but gave us excellent if brief views but no chance of a photo. A proper job picture of one these animals is high on the safari's hitlist.

We've never seen so many Green Tiger Beetles - they were everywhere, we must have arrived shortly after a major hatch. Flying around all over the shop they were. Look at those eyes what exceptional vision they must have for spottingtheir favourite prey - Ants.

Green Veined Whites gave us the run around at the start of the walk but were very numerous. They cold wind on the higher more exposed slopes put paid to more interesting and much harder to find Emperor Moths and Green Hairstreak butterflies.

Eventually we got 'the' shots!

Epiphytes were doing well in the woodland. Here is a Rowan or Mountain Ash growing on a rotting stump. Mountain ash can be told from 'normal' Ash by its serrated edged leaves.

And a Wood Sorrel growing from a cleft in a live Willow.

Red Campion is a common flower of shady woodlands, at its best just as the canopy starts to close.

A fallen log on the woodland floor was covered in a fascinating variety of Lichens. I know less about lichens than I do about fungi so I can't tell you anythjing about them other than they were worth a long close inspection - great forms, shapes and textures.










A fence runs the length of the path by the reservoir protecting a thin strip of ground with an old dry stone wall on the upperside. I made part of the this old fence and then planted a good few of the trees between the fence and the wall. I remember the ground was incredibly stoney and getting the post in the correct place and vertical was a nightmare and then finding enough soil to plant a sapling also proved difficult. Enough of the self gratification this new section had been put in after some works by the Water Board and a very tricky way of getting 'round' an obstacle it is. What you can't see or indeed smell is the dead Pheasant just out of shot..rally hummed it did...and it wasn't a very nice tune...believe me! Frank on the other hand thought differently.



Perhaps the moment of the day was coming across a tree full of Green Woodpecker holes. Now it was just too tempting to find a pebble from the river and give the old tree a rat-a-tat-tat with it in the hope that a Green Woodpecker's head would poke out of one of the holes. No such luck but we got the shock of our lives when a startled Tawny Owl lept from a hole left by a long shed branch. very nice bonus bird.


In fact the birds were quite poor...plenty of residents and common summer migrants but none of the scarcer, more 'interesting' migrants such as Whinchat, Tree Pipits, Wood Warblers, Cuckoos etc and apart from the owl no raptors at all, not even during the drive out or home.

Creme-de-la-creme was turning a corner to see some ideal reptile habitat. A sunny bank with loose rocks, sheltered from the wind and with only sparse vegetation...'this looks like good reptile habbo...bl******dy 'ell there's one there!'
A Common Lizard was quitely basking in the sun and was quite happy to be photographed.

It let us get quite close! Not particularly easy finding lizards up this way and getting a decent photo takes a lot of luck.


These are nothing...wait till you see the safari's 'extreme' photographer, Raf's, double close close-ups...apparently it looks so big it looks more like a Perentie!

Where to next? I still haven't got to grips with anything properly worthwhile in the seabird migration line and time is marching on.

In the meantime let us know what lucky/great shot your outback 'allowed' you to take.