Wheatears and Winshields

I've had a horrible day for all sorts of reasons, things were going from bad to worse so I decided to get out and walk off my mood.
Off to Winshields with my new compact camera, it's one of those camera's described as a bridge camera with a lens that allegedly goes from 35mm to 850mm.
Because the weather has been poor I've not had a chance to try it out and while it was showery today it wasn't bad enough to put me off.
Climbed to the top of the hill, pressed some button that I shouldn't have and wiped out the battery - it's been one of those days.
Called in to Winshields Camp Site Tea Room for a coffee and got chatting to Billy about Wheatears.

Juvenile Wheatear

He gave me some tips on where to find them so tonight, after tea (TT has been engrossed in the Tour de France coverage) I headed off out again with my 200-400mm lens.
I was really too late for them, found one juvenile fluffed up on a rock but non of the nice males, though I suppose most adult birds will have lost their breeding plumage by now and are reverting back to 'little brown jobs'

I had the presence of mind to put my 18-200mm lens in my pocket and I was so glad I did.
Up at Winshields Trig Point I came upon a technicolour sky.
I have never seen anything quite like it.

You could see for miles tonight, Criffel, the Scottish mountain way beyond Dumfries looked as if it was just a mile away, amazing.

Not much light to the east, just a quick burst on the top bit of the Wall then it was gone.

When I got to the bottom of the hill I looked back and all the colour had gone to be replaced by big black clouds, nature putting on a show.
Now in Gilsland at 9.30pm there's not a cloud in the sky.

Hope you don't mind if I just share one of my garden bird pictures with you, a Nutchatch. We have two adults feeding young although they keep them well hidden in the thicket of the oak tree. I'm hoping they will bring the youngsters down within range of the hide if only to teach them about peanut feeders.

Grune Point on the Solway

I had a trip across to the English part of the Solway Coast yesterday.
It's an hours drive from Gilsland and has Roman remains, as it's a little known fact that Hadrian's Wall followed the coast down to Maryport
On this occasion I wasn't looking at Roman remains but at birds.
The whole of the Solway is a superb area for wintering wildfowl, I'd been promised masses of Oystercatchers by a friend who regularly walks on that coast and, he sent me beautiful photographs to back up the claim.
Alas, no one had booked the oystercatchers to perform, they were enjoying a Sunday off.
Not to worry there was loads to see, to the north of Silloth is Grune Point with a reserve packed full of geese.
They kept taking off in great flocks with much honking, such an evocative sound, I only had my 18-200mm lens on the camera and my binoculars were in the car, but I looking at the photographs on my computer at home I spotted a Peregrine Falcon sitting on a fence post. I can't imagine a Peregrine would be able to catch a goose but something seemed to be spooking the flock.

Large flocks of Geese at Grune Nature Reserve, taken from Grune Point,

the Lake District mountains in the background.

Although the weather forecast hadn't been promising it was a lovely day, bright with dramatic clouds, the beach around Grune Point reminded me of those you find on Scottish Islands, very fine golden sand and miles of it.

Perfect for a walk with space for an energetic spaniel called Chloe to run.

A walk around Grune Point

We did see Oystercatchers and I was wishing I'd bothered to carry my bigger lens around, there were also Shelducks, Cormorants, Plover, Knot and I'm sure masses of other things like the Peregrine that I missed.

(How could I have forgotten the discipline knocked into every fledgling birdwatcher "Always check the fence posts"?)

Oystercatchers 

Knot with Criffel in the mists behind

Looking across the Solway to Criffel, some amazing skies yesterday.

The incoming tide from the Promenade at Skinburnessbank

It's a beautiful coast, way down to Maryport, which by the way has a Museum recommended to me by a Professor of Roman Archeaology as being well worth a visit.

Lots of dune walks if the weather is blowy and miles of beaches, lots of pebbles to inspect or throw for willing dogs and, a lovely Caramel slice from the Garden Centre at Mawbray, which nicely followed the sandwiches made by Trev.



My thanks to Trev, Ros and Chloe who gave up their Sunday to show me around.

Click on the photographs if you'd like to see a larger version.

All photographs on this Blog are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission.

23 02 11 Hadrian's Wall

Walltown Crags at sunset

I love being up on the Crags at Walltown for sunset, I'd been wandering around when two young men came up the hill and sat having their supper.

They were walking the Wall and seemed to have no overnight stop arranged. Believe me it's not a good idea to be on the Hadrian's Wall Path in the dark, the path is uneven with stones to trip you.

I was hoping they were intending to put up a tent for the night but didn't want me to know, wild camping isn't allowed here, but I would rather they were breaking the rules and staying safe.

From this spot I can see Gilsland where I live and then right over to Criffel on the Scottish side of the Solway, on a good clear day you can see the Lake District.



It's a harsh climate up on the high part of Hadrian's Wall, yet the gnarly old Hawthorns seem to survive.

You can see the remains of Hadrian's Wall behind the tree as it heads downhill, there's a sharp drop where the quarry works took away the cliff face and the remains of the Wall.

Just across from this point is the Roman Army Museum, currently having a refit but a great place to visit, I imagine it will be opening for Easter weekend.

All photographs used on this blog are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission.