Fire in the sky

After a long spell of poor weather and grey skies, at last we got some nice clear days.
I'd ckecked the position of the sunrise and thought I might be able to capture the sun rising through the trees on top of King Arthur's Well at Walltown, something I hadn't done before.
As I climbed up Walltown Crags the sky was colouring up nicely and I was feeling pretty optomistic, then I heard the bellowing of cows, now I love cows but come sunrise they get skittish and dash back and forwards in front of the camera, leaving ghostly streaks.
So I needed a backup plan.
For ages I've been thinking that I should take a sunrise photograph from Mucklebank Crag, I had planned it for a misty morning and there was no mist but it would be something I hadn't done before so off I went.
There's a good stone path up Mucklebank Crag, it is steep but very stable thanks to the lads of Northumberland National Parks Authority.
Lot's of sheep around but fortunately they were still sheep so here are some of the pictures I took.

King Arthur's Well and Mucklebank Crag, cows are galloping behind me.

Looking east over Cawfields and Winshields Crag, William's Black Faced sheep pose for me.

On the Hadrian's Wall Path over Mucklebank Crag

Sunrise over Allolee Farm

Sheep graze on the Roman Turret as the light catches Walltown Crags

As I headed back to the car I bumped into the farmer from Walltown Farm, he was out feeding his bull, a beautiful blonde Charolais called Emo. As William and I stood chatting Emo was nudging him wanting his nose scratched.

We're back to bad weather again today and yet more high winds are forecast.

As always the pictures are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission.

Storm clouds gather

Weather hasn't been as good as it should for August.
Torrential rain and really cold, even when it wasn't raining it was overcast, so I haven't been out for sunrise since the beginning of the month.
I've been wanting to get some stormy sky shots, hard as it maybe to believe it's difficult to get the right cloud in the right place, the geology of Hadrian's Wall Crags and the North Pennines seems to push cloud parallel to the Wall.
On Sunday there was enough cloud to go right round and I've just got some new waterproof boots that needed breaking in so I headed off to Cawfield Crags.
Through the day, and especially a Saturday or Sunday, it's hard to get photographs without people in them and you can guarantee that just as the light comes right someone will stand slap bang in front of the camera.
One young man came up to see what I was up to as he approached he said, 'Hello, nice day', we stood watching the way the light danced across the land and the changing clouds. I was in an expansive mode and was saying it was like a great orchestra with clouds the percussion section, waving grasses the violins and the dancing light, flutes and piccalo's.
I turned to see what he made of all this and with a big smile he said.... 'Hello, Nice Day' and I guess that was as much English as he knew :)
Never mind we enjoyed the moment.

On the way up Cawfield Crags

Looking west over Thorney Doors (the gap in the Wall)

Family out for a Sunday walk on Cawfield Crags

Cawfield Crags on the way to Caw Gap

This and the above shot were taken a few minutes apart, showing how quickly things change

As well as the dark clouds we got glimpses of blue sky as well.

And one photograph taken on Saturday evening, looking down onto Winshields Farm Campsite from Winshields Crag with the rising moon.

If only

I was awake when TT got up for work and 4am so I decided I'd get up, drop him off at the farm, then go and takesome photographs.
It looked foggy but with a nice sky above the fog so I headed for the highest point on Hadrian's Wall, Winshields Crag.
Got to the top in plenty of time but nothing much was happening, some lovely colour in the top third of the sky but it was dull and grey in the bottom two thirds, not ideal.
Decided to give it up as a bad job but then I wondered if the Little Owls would be around at Cawfields and pulled into the quarry car park.
A Dabchick was diving up and down in the water and a Heron took off as I crossed the grass from the car.
Still lots of fog but some of the ducks took off and I grabbed a photograph.

Mallard through the mist

Then I spotted the sun coming up through the fog, amazing what a difference a bit of light makes to a photograph, and I took several shots before the sun was swallowed up by cloud and fog.

Let there be light

I headed up towards the Crags, figuring I was out anyway I might as well get a bit of exercise.

Took my camera and tripod but left my filters behind.

Cows were grazing right next to Hadrian's Wall, they huffed a bit as I approached, I don't think they like the fully extended tripod for some reason, but they moved off the path and I passed by.

One of the Buzzards I photographed last week took off and called above me, crows and swallows swooped and yet again the sound of the farmers quad bike as he checked his stock.

Hadrian's Wall on Cawfield Crags

Took a photograph of the Wall and then one of the brown cow before heading back to the car and home.

How now Brown Cow

Tree in the mist

The fog was still thick at Gilsland, I stopped to take a picture of trees in the fog.

Not one of those WOW mornings but then if they were all great there'd be no challenge to get up and go would there?

as always the photographs used on the Blog are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission.

Early to rise

Alarm was set for 5am and it seemed I'd only just got to sleep when it was waking me up again.
Not much cloud in the sky and frost on the ground, thinking it was about time I got back into the swing of early mornings, I got up and off I went. The thermometer in the car was reading 0 degrees and it was a bit nippy on the ears and fingers, fortunately I had hat and gloves in the carand I was glad of them.
I was suprised there was no mist, I thought conditions would have been ideal, but then what do I know?
Working on the premise that it was the weekend and, after all the people who were out on the Hadrian's Wall Path yesterday, some of the more popular spots might have other photographers, I went to Caw Gap.
I have absolutely no objection to other photographers out in the morning it's just I always seem to need to stand in front of them or at least within their picture frame.
Caw Gap was empty, just me and the birds, there is something so evocative about the call of the Curlew.

Hadrian's Wall at Caw Gap, it might look as if I'm standing on the Wall but I'm in a gap.

Hadrian's Wall is an ancient monument and I try to treat it with respect climbing on it is frowned on and knowing my luck I slip and break something.

My favourite viewpoint is just a bit further west of this spot so off I went, I like good value for my outings and high up on this point of Cawfield Crags you get views in all directions, so if something interesting is happening away from the sunrise you're well placed to capture it.

View towards Winshields Crag, the highest point on Hadrian's Wall.

The sun appears along with some contrails to add interest to the sky.

There was a 10 mile hike over these Crags today for the British Heart Foundation, apparently they filled all the available places in double quick time, I hope people were well prepared for the tricky bits. At least the frost should have gone before they started.

As is my habit I called into Cawfields Quarry, I wanted to see where the sun was in relation to the peak there, and to see if any birds were on the lake. The contrail sky make a nice reflection in the water and then it was back home for a warming bowl of porridge.

Cawfields Quarry Lake

as usual all photographs are the copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission

http://www.joanthirlaway.co.uk/