Early Autumn in the Garden

As the sun was shining and all was nice and quiet in the garden took the opportunity to grab some pictures of the resident garden wildlife that normally gets overlooked.

Hello Mr Toad




Lots of spiders webs in the garden at the moment, this chap had just caught lunch and was tucking in!




Whats left of my hostas is slowly being devoured by these chaps, garden snails




Thankfully during the summer my resident hedgehog has no doubt feasted on the abundance of slugs, I didn't take this today, its from a couple of nights ago




What has really surprised me is how late Collared Doves are still nesting, these couple of young uns don't look far off fledging.



Finally for this post a series of Great Tit pictures, as it visits the seed feeder

The Farne Islands revisit

This is not a return trip to the Farnes, more me revisiting my photo gallery and remembering what a great day I had on the Farne Islands in July, and the amount of great Puffin photos I got, so a few more to follow hope you enjoy them.

Dunnock

A lunch time visit to the nature reserve at work on a nice sunny autumnal day gave me the opportunity to photograph a usually overlooked bird, the Dunnock or Hedge Sparrow. I have also included a feature from August edition of Bird Watching magazine that featured my nature reserve. Very Proud!!

Ingleton Waterfalls Trail

Having never been to Ingleton, we made the journey up there and were rewarded with a lovely walk, the trail is 4.5 miles long, a little strenuos in places but well worth it, especially after heavy rain which fills the falls and makes them even more spectacular, see the video at the end at turn up the volume for the full effect.



Pecca Falls

There were quite a few of these felled dead trees that someone a long time ago pushed a coin in and bent it over, and a lot more have copied, and I would guess each tree is worth a few quid!

Pecca Twin Falls

The highest of the falls, Thornton Force, awesome, I was getting soaked from the spray taking the photo below.

Ingleborough, a mountain I have yet to climb, another day!

Beezley Falls

Rival Falls

Thornton Force in full flow, turn up your volume

For more information visit http://www.ingletonwaterfallswalk.co.uk/

Great Dodd - Thursday 10th September

Great Dodd, Watsons Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd

Thursday 10th September 2009

Start 9am, Finish 1.30pm

Total Ascent 2800ft

Weather - Sunny and Clear, very warm

Having not been up on Great Dodd, and having done the other Dodds on a miserable viewless day last year, I decided to take advantage of the glorious early autumn weather and get back onto the Dodds, and also knock off Great Dodd that I hadn't done. An early start from Preston meant I was parked up in Glenridding and ready for the off at 9am. And after setting off along the side of Sicks Gill it was obviously going to be a warm walk, and as I climbed beyond the Youth Hostel passed the disused mine I was soon peeling off the layers and the rest of the walk was in just a T shirt. My route took me along Sticks Gill up onto Sticks Pass, right onto the col between Raise and Stybarrow Dodd, then across to Watsons Dodd, then across to Great Dodd. The return being the same in reverse, on the way down I got some great close up views of the helicopter bringing bags of rock up onto Sticks pass for erosion repairs on the path.

Sticks Gill at the start of the walk at Glenridding

Looking back down the valley over the disused mine and Youth Hostel back to Glenridding

Looking ahead to the head of the valley at the top of Sticks Pass, Raise to the left

Once up onto the ridge todays target came into view, Stybarrow to the right out of shot then Watsons Dodd to the left and Great Dodd far right.

A lovely clear view over the Vale of Keswick, Skiddaw almost clear of cloud

The North Western fells clearing of cloud

Blencathra looking moody and dark in the distance

Looking back along the ridge to Helvellyn

Now on the way back at the top of Sticks Pass looking right the way back to Glenridding and Ullswater

Today I was lucky enough to get some great close up shots of the Helicopter taking up bags of stone up onto Sticks Pass for footpath repairs.

And a zoomed in shot

On the way home I couldnt resist stopping off to get some great pictures looking across to the Southern fells from the windermere - kirkstone road.

Coniston Old Man and Weatherlam

This passing Tornado frightened the life out of me as it appeared from nowhere

Classic shot of the Langdales and Bowfell

Crinkle crags and Bowfell

A wider shot

And finally a panoramic shot of todays walk along the Dodds Ridge, a lovely day but a lot warmer than expected.