20/09/2011

To the Tarn

A wee while ago I saw something in the Cumberland News about Red Squirrels at Talkin Tarn and as my quest to photograph these cute animals is, as yet, unfulfilled off I went to check out Talkin Tarn.

It's a flat area of water near Brampton in Cumbria, managed by Carlisle City Council, they seem to come in for a lot of criticism over the management plans but I have to say I think they've done a grand job.

I found the Squirrel feeding area, alas there was no food and therefore no squirrels.

It was a day of squally showers but I had my waterproof and it's a nice flat 1.3 mile walk around the Tarn so off I went.

Very few water birds, guess it's a bit early for the wintering birds.

Some fungi in the woods but it's a popular area with children who seem to enjoy kicking off the caps of the toadstools, I could be an old grump about it but I bet a time machine going back to my younger days would find me doing exactly the same thing.

Fabulous cloudscapes, because the area is so flat I find it hard to photograph but it works okay when the water is calm and you get nice reflections, alas it was either choppy with the wind or with the rain falling on the surface.

So enough already, here are some photographs of Talkin Tarn.

The old Boat House, now an art gallery with changing exhibitions, in a few weeks time the trees will be full of Autumn colour.

I was standing talking to some dog walkers when I noticed the light hitting the tea room, there hadn't been a lot of nice storm light so I made my excuses and took the shot.


A moment of relative calm, the small boathouse pictured here is now a bird hide.

Fly Agaric on a fairly steep bit of the Beech Wood so I guess it was out of reach of small boys feet

The next two photographs are of birds in my Gilsland Garden, I'm trying to keep a photographic record of the visitors to the seed feeders, some are easier to photograph than others!


Juvenile Goldfinch

Female Sparrowhawk, I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I was to get this photograph!

More rain forecast, where oh where are those glorious September days of old with bright clear crisp days?

as always all photographs in this blog are cpyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission, thankyou for viewing.

3 comments:

houndkirk said...

Love the photo of the tea-room Joan. Is it edited or were you able to capture that range of light naturally?
The Sparrowhawk too is fantastic. I can see why you'd be thrilled to get a shot like that!

Heather A said...

I love the (one legged) sparrohawk. There was no food at the feeding area when I was there a couple of weeks ago either, but a Jay was happily oblivious to me.

Vick said...

Love the 2nd pic Joan and havent been there since I was a boy.