Sunshine and sycamore trees

I noticed the sycamore tree in our garden was looking very fresh and spring like with the new green leaves.
I was asked some time ago if I could provide four images of Sycamore Gap, one for each season and I had one for two for each month let alone each season.
I have probably more than enough photographs of the iconic tree but it never harms to update and anyway I wanted to see if I could pin point a spot to take photographs of the Wheatear that are nesting somewhere around Sycamore Gap.
When I arrived the sky was clear and blue, not always a boon for photographs then clouds started to cross the sky behind the tree making things a lot more interesting.

Sycamore Gap with a fresh green spring foliage

There were masses of visitors and with each wave that arrived at Sycamore Gap there'd be a corresponding wave of Wheatears but my eyes aren't that good and while I could see them sitting on rocks I couldn't pinpoint any one favourite perch.

Castle Gap busy with visitors

Eventually I gave up for today and wandered back, I did see the Wheatears, Jackdaws, Rooks, Skylarks, Curlew, Rock Pippets and Jack Snipe so the area is great for spotting birds.

Busy day on Peel Crags, some visitors were ill equiped for the rugged terrain, it's really not the place to be walking in mules.

Hadrian's Wall at Steel Rigg

This is one of the sections of Turved Wall, rebuilt by workers under the direction of John Clayton, the man who bought up great stretches of Hadrian's Wall to preserve it and it's thanks to him that there's so much left for us to enjoy today. Becasue the Wall was rebuilyt it's not terribly stable, Walking on it is not only disrespectful of an ancient monument it can also be dangerous.
No doubt this coming weekend will be busy on the Hadrian's Wall Path and if you are one of those visitors I urge you to go to the Northumberland National Parks, award winning Visitor centre at Once Brewed and pick up a copy of the 2011 Visitor Guide it's excellent with all sorts of information and walks, like the new Tipault Burn Walk to enjoy.

Lastly, one shot of the Bluebells in the Poltross Wood in Gilsland, my yearly records for the past 8 years we've lived here show the Gilsland Bluebells peaking on the 12th of May, as you can see this year they're early.

As always the photographs used in this Blog are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and may not be used without written permission.

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