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.

Lake District

From Gilsland, it's only an hours drive to Keswick and the north Lakes, so when the weather looked promising I set my alarm and headed off to Castlerigg Stone Circle.
I'd checked the solar calculator and knew where the sun would be rising and after an easy drive down the M6 I arrived at Castlerigg.

 Castlerigg Stone Circle

Castlerigg Stone Circle panorama ( click to see it at full size)

From looking at the sun rise on the map I thought it would be rising in the perfect spot, but there were trees, still the sky coloured up and I was able to get some photographs before heading down to the Lake at Keswick.
Saw a couple photographing the boats with the light catching Catbells behind and not wanting to impose I went further along towards Friar's Crag.
It really is a beautiful lake and I pottered about for about an hour, here are some of the photographs I took.

Derwentwater

 

Derwentwater below Friar's Crag

Morning Mists on Derwentwater, looking towards Cat Bells

 

View down the Lake

 

Early morning light

Light on the bay

Friar's Crag pano ( click to see full size)

As you know I don't pretend to be a great photographer and I'm really no good with the Photoshopping stuff but I hope to show you that you can quite easily fill a weeks holiday based in Gilsland so come along and show me just how it should be done.

Oystercatchers

You know that saying 'if at first you don't succeed'?
I try, goodness only knows I try, so it was back to Mawbury in search of Oystercatchers.
High tide was projected at 2pm and the early morning fog was clearing beautifully as I drove from Gilsland.
It was 12.15 when I arrived at Mawbury garden centre with a beautiful blue sky and just wisps of fog, rapidly clearing - or so I thought.
Decided to stop for coffee and scone as I had plenty of time (both excellent by the way) and when I came out it was like pea soup.
Thinking it would go as quickly as it came, I optomistically set off for the beach carrying my biggest lens and heavy tripod.
And wouldn't you just know it, there were hundreds of Oystercatchers but the fog just kept on rolling in with the high tide.
I got some pictures and I will admit as I stood there thinking I m,ust be mad, droplets of water running off my hair and specs misting up, when just a mile inland it was a beautiful sunny day.
No amount of pleading, cajouling and threatening the weather gods changed things, so I just carried on snapping.
It'll be a while before the high tides are at useful times of the day, but I will try again.

One man and his dog (Trev and Chloe) on foggy Mawbury beach

The flock of Oystercatchers, there were masses of them and a big flock of Curlew hidden in the mist behind them that I didn't even see until I enlarged the photographs on my computer screen

My favourite shot of the day, because of the fog the camera was having trouble focusing,

 fortunately it managed for this shot. (click on the picture to see a larger version)

It's a great coast for birds and well worth the hours drive from Gilsland, however the tide goes out a mile I've been told so it's best to check the tide tables and go when there's a high tide.

There are various parking spots along the roadside dunes and toilets at the garden centre, or in Silloth.