Been a while

Sorry.
Weather has been awful and I've been suffering from Vertigo - okay that's my excuses for not blogging out of the way.
Gale force winds today interspersed with torrential rain so not terribly promising for photography.
But, the clouds were moving quickly so I had the idea of doing a long exposure at Sycamore Gap, trying to get the tree sharp with movement in the clouds.
I thought that if I could get a gap in the rain I might get some shots so I headed off to Steel Rigg.

Light on the land at Steel Rigg

View over Peel Crags towards Hotbank Farm

For a change I went straight up the steps at Peel Crags, probably my least favourite climb up, at one point the steps are about 10" wide, not good if you have big feet like me!

On top you could really feel the force of the wind, I'd read there would be gusts of 40mph and I could believe it.

I was blown over twice as I went up and down steps on the various parts, no coincidence that the steps are in the gaps and the wind was swirling around there.

I was suprised at just how many people were walking the Hadrian's Wall Path, those walking east to west were walking directly into the wind, many of them had waterproof covers over their rucksacs and these were acting like mini parachutes. Hard to walk in the wind never mind having a drag factor as well.

Hadrian's Wall on Peel Crags

Walkers on Highshields Crag

From Castle Gap west to Winshields Crag

Sycamore Gap

So eventually I arrived at Sycamore Gap, I tried the long exposure but the wind was shaking the tripod and the filter holder on the camera lens too much.

I stood for a while waiting for light to hit the gap, I wanted the dark storm clouds behind if possible. I also hoped for a rainbow, but then I hope to win the lottery every week and I don't get that either :)

Had lots of blue sky and fluffy white cloud shots but eventually my patience was rewarded, with the light lasting for about 10 seconds, just long enough to take a photograph.

As I stood there with my tripod several people sidled up to me with their cameras, obviously believing I know where the best viewpoint was - a tripod doesn't mean I know what I'm doing much of the time.

Walked back on the lower path, foolishly thinking I'd get some shelter from the wind, on a wide open plain the wind came right at me, so fierce that the bags under my eyes were flapping. I kid you not.

I'll end with a plea to please put the catches on the gates, doesn't matter if they were off when you went through, Hadrian's Wall crosses farm land and animals pass through open gates. Thankyou

May

May has been a really awful month for photography, wet, windy and grey.
Much as I love this corner of Northumberland I would have gladly moved south just to see a bit of daylight.
Yesterday we did get some sunshine but it came with gale force winds that made just standing upright, on the Hadrian's Wall Path, difficult.
Evening saw a slight calming and some nice clouds so I went out to Crag Lough, where the wind was moving the clouds and stirring up the water.
I took a number of photo's and tried one with filters to give a really long exposure try ing to give a sense of movement.

A windy evening at Crag Lough

Light on Winshields Crag

Took loads more shots with the boats in the foreground, but they have blue covers that weren't on properly and the arrangement of the boats was messy, I do miss those lovely old mahogany boats that were tethered in a V formation.

Sun setting behind the barn on Hound Hill

As the light becan to go I moved along towards Sycamore Gap, the sun never sets directly behind the tree but I thought the clouds to the right of the sunset were worth the dash along, and the exercise would bburn off that cheese scone I had after tea.

 The sunset sky behind the tree at Sycamore Gap

I was using the D7000 for these and shooting in Raw. I just cannot get away with raw, the colours never turn out the way they should and no amount of fiddling on gets the result I want. I like photographs to be the way I saw them, not tweaked to death, so I shall go bck to my jpegs.

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

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/

Peel Crags and that tree

It seems to be taking me ages to shake this cold bug I've picked up and when the weather is bad I sit at home feeling sorry for myself.

A chink of blue in the grey cloud and I'm picking up my gear and heading off along the Wall, the cloud was changing so quickly that it was hard to decide where to go but eventually I settled for Steel Rigg.

The climb up to Peel Crags is one I hate, no make that HATE! the steps are all sizes and if you have big feet like me and you're carrying a lot of gear, like me, then balance is a precarious thing.
I arrived at the top and all the blue sky had disappeared, typical.
Still I did feel better for the fresh air so I kept on going and taking pictures along the way.
Waste of time as I well know, if there's no "light" there's no picture, it doesn't have to be sunlight just that sort of brightness that makes a world of difference.

Of course I was telling myself that I could Blog that Hadrian's Wall is beautiful no matter what the weather, and it really is, but a bit of light makes it just that little bit better.

A little bit of light over Steel Rigg

To add to my woes the footpath men have been out reseeding the worn bits of the Hadrian's Wall Path and then sticking little green posts in with a white label telling people what they're doing, very photogenic!

The HW Path does take a battering, especially during the wet winter months, all our feet carving great gouges out of the grass, as we tramp along enjoying the view.

The two guys, who look after the outside part of the path, do a sterling job of keeping it fit for use.

The line of green sticks climbs up the path above Castle Gap

Sunlight appears just catching the top of Highshields Crag ( taken a few steps away from the last photo but looking east)

Amazing number of people out walking along the path on Saturday considering the way the Tourism people were worrying about how their funding and lack of advertising would affect visitor numbers this year. I think it will be a good year for business along the Wall, I even heard a few foreign accents (including Scottish )

The Sycamore Tree in Sycamore Gap as you see it coming down from Castle Gap

Just as I arrived at Sycamore Gap the light disappeared so I set up my tripod and waited for it to come back, and waited , and waited. People passed me by apologising for 'spoiling' my shot and I explained I was "waiting for the light" and I thought that could be the story of my life.

Eventually just as I had dismantled my set up the light came again and, fortunately, it waited for me to take the shot before going off again.

The man in the picture climbing to the top of Highshields Crag was telling his companion loads of interesting facts about the Wall, they came back past me just after I heard him saying that the Wall in Sycamore Gap was a great place to see exactly how thick Hadrian's Wall would actually have been.

When he got to me he asked me if I knew what sort of tree it was and I wish I'd got a picture of his face as I said 'Sycamore Tree' and he realised how daft the question was, happens to us all sometimes.

All photographs are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission

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

17 02 11 Hadrian's Wall

Fog this morning but by 11am a chink of light appeared in the sky.
I set off for Sewingshields Crag, it's ages since I've been there but, just past Caw Gap the light went and I was back to fog.
I pulled into Steel Rigg and decided to have a walk out to see if things would improve.

A sliver of light hits the Castle Crag and I have hopes that things will improve

I decide to walk along to Sycamore Gap, perhaps I can get some dramatic views from the north side of the Wall.

The sun is doing it's best to break through the fog at Scyamore Gap

Hotbank Crag becomes more defined and blue sky shows through at last. With all the rain we've had recently Crag Lough is almost twice the normal size.

No boats during the winter but I could see swans on the Lough.

I was suprised at how many people were about, here one walker comes through Sycamore Gap and starts the climb up Highshields Crag

Walkers crest the rise at Castle Gap and the fog tries to blank out the blue sky

Great to see some sunshine and to get some fresh air and exercise, let's hope we get a lot more of the same in the coming months.

Soon the sun will be rising on the north side of the Wall and that's my favourite time to be out.

I did hear a Lark today and that cheered me immensely.

30 Jan 2011

Welcome to my blog, I hope to be able to post photographs with a few comments from my bit of Hadrian's Wall and the surrounding area.

I'm lucky enough to have lots of great places to visit within an hours drive of Gilsland so I wanted to broaden the scope of my blog a bit, give you a taster of what a holiday here in Hadrian's Wall Country might offer.

Start my new blog with a picture of Sycamore Gap the ever popular sycamore tree on Hadrian's Wall.

Years ago now it was used in the opening scenes of a Kevin Costner film, 'Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves' and people still ask the way to the Robin Hood Tree.

One of the most photographed trees in England I imagine.

Talkin Tarn near Brampton on a very cold January day.

Just a few small channels of water remained unfrozen, ducks and swans were being fed by visitors.

It's a flat walk around the Tarn and it's popular with dog walkers and parents with buggies to push.

Yesterday was the day I did my RSPB Great Garden Bird Watch, I had loads of birds visit the garden and was lucky enough to see 3 Tree Sparrows, once quite common but now on the Red list of endangered species.
They seem to be fiesty little birds fighting to keep their places on the seed feeders so I hope they make a come back.