From Whinlatter Visitor Centre, Keswick, Cumbria. April 26th 2017

Moss dripped on branches, hung like green wigs from trunks on thousands of standing and many fallen trees. The path also revealed cut-outs of slate rock which had little falls of pink and grey slate shingle where I searched in vain for fossils. Tree creepers and mistle-thrush teased us for a photo shoot. The steep path was wide and looking back we could see an array of brown and grey mountains intermittently lit by the sun. The ...
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24 July 2012

Twenty four degrees centigrade, after weeks of rain, hurrah!! We parked at Morston Quay
early, with our intention of a short walk over the boardwalk for some bird/wild flower
spotting.The boardwalk was grey and glupping and we were quickly told by a boatman the tide
was rising and we were about to get cut off! We headed back to explore the information centre
and then found a seat to wait for our boat. We had close ups of bees on thistles
and distant red sails (which looked black), a...

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April 2012  Extract from my journal.

April 21st
Hay Stacks (Cumbria, Lake District). 4.5 miles. Height to summit, 1,900ft.
Time – all day as I’m a bit slow!! (3-4 hours normally)

From the car park at Gatesgarth Farm, under grey cloud cover, a winding path
stretches into a meandering valley, on out left, Fleetwith Pike, on the ground
– wild dog violets and the sound of a splashing river. We cross a bridge to the
right side for Hay Stacks mountain and take step after boulder step up past
wate...

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Nature Notes.

March 3, 2012.

Dew sparkles on the Leylandii hedge, a blackbird hops along its ridge, a length of dried grass in his beak.

March 14.

When I was in nine, (many years ago!) our headmaster brought in a road kill;  in assembly he asked
if anyone had ever seen a real badger, one child raised their hand. Later, each class in turn, had to walk past
the dead badger so we could see what one looked like. One side of the badger’s face was smashed in; his legs were
set in a running position...

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Nature Notes, February 2012

26 January. East Runton to West Runton Beach (and back) – around 2 hours.

There’s a thin line of mist on the sea’s horizon as I pass the eerie moon-like landscape of chalk rocks on my left. On the strand line there’s washed up new-growth of bright green sea lettuce. Sea lettuce is packed with healthy vitamins and is grazed on by geese further up the coast in the marshes, and in the sea it’s a good food source for marine animals. I’m not tempted by it â€...

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Nature Notes, January 2012

New Year's Eve.

Walking on the beach between East Runton and Cromer, I lean up against the pillbox which has been tilted by the tides, I've seen it covered in sand and fully exposed to the elements at different times of the year. In front of me is approximately 250 yards of golden sand, then 500 yards of flint rock and pools. Gulls move and stand in circles of ebbing, gentle slush. The fog freezes the ends of my fingertips.  A few dog walkers pass by without noticin...

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