Yesterday we walked up from Millbeck on the south facing side of the Derwent Valley, for a brief afternoon walk and found a new track down from Slade Beck we hadn’t used before.

There’s lots of water running off the fells – and in the beck, which the ‘cragsure’ Herdwick sheep had little difficulty in leaping across. On our descent through the woods, we passed this magnificent waterfall (photo opposite), which was all of 30-35 feet in height.

A surprise? Yes, but it shouldn’t have been because when I got back I found it marked on the 1:25000 map. (For a route up Slade Beck which takes you up to Carlside and Skiddaw top see our Walks section).

Back at The Larches we’ve been clearing and manuring the vegetable plot, a job I have been putting off for too long. It meant though that we could have the delicious remains of the parsnips – very succulent but they were not as large as I had hoped!

We’ve been delighted to see that the snowdrops are well out already in the garden and on the lane running up to the cottage. These ‘harbingers of Spring’ as Wordsworth called them – have come really early this year and there are even daffodils appearing in the road to Thornthwaite off the A66.

We’ve not seen the red squirrel this time but this morning had a large pheasant strutting around the garden and terraces like a lord of the manor! They’ve been seen much more in the locality in recent months and appear to have escaped from Lord Rochdale’s estate. There are often large numbers of them in the fields near Swinside on the road to Catbells.

It’s an easy walk to this ‘away from it all’ spot, with a footpath down from Pen Cottage at the Swan House apartments (formerly the Swan Inn), below Barf. I had never found this before and it takes you down through the old cottages at Powter How to the subway beneath the A66.

I knew the light was fading, but the latched gate to a path heading south down the lake drew my eye. “Why not explore a little further? It must lead to something” I thought and picked my way past two more gates and a ‘No dogs” notice.

Then I saw it – a low dark shape through the waterlogged trees. A plank with railing drew me on and I climbed the few steps. “Just slide the door” stated the notice.

Now I was inside this darkened capacious hide, with large illustrations of 33 different bird species, typical of lakes and marshland. Stools and a bench with four separate 12cms x 40 cms hinged observation flaps completed these wonderful facilities for bird watchers. Only the tea and kettle were missing!

This is part of the Bassenthwaite National Nature Reserve, where there are over 70 species of resident birds (See notice below). We owe a thanks for these free facilities to the Lake District Planning Board and other bodies like the RSPB, whose members support the programme and upkeep.

They’ve got minds of their own, we thought, but that’s not surprising for a couple who’ve come over 3,000 miles from West Africa. Like others though we’ve been keeping the change in their exact domestic arrangements quiet this year, as they are VIPs whom we would not like to see frightened away.

Yes, you’ll have guessed that we are talking about the ospreys, who returned this year to the Derwent Valley in April. Since we built the Belvedere three years ago with its wide range view across the marshes, we’ve been keeping an eye out for the ospreys. In 2008 they moved, conveniently for us, to a site in Dodd Wood which was visible from the Belvedere, though hard to see in any detail as over 1.5 miles distant.

This year they caught the RSPB, Forestry Commission and us by surprise by deciding to set up their nest in a completely new and much closer site at the top of a large dead tree on the other side of the A66. No human help this time with the construction work!

We first got wind of this in May, when we saw a descending hang glider over Thornthwaite, being examined by a circling osprey. The new nest we realised was on the marshes and less than 800 metres away. From the belvedere it’s almost directly in line with the church, Without my binoculars I was not able to check the site out.

We received news however last week from Lee Gretton who was staying at The Larches in August. He confirmed what we thought: “The osprey’s nest is easy to view from the Belvedere. I spent quite a lot of time with the binoculars watching them flying across the marshes”. The photo at the top shows the view through the binoculars of the bare tree with the nest. The site is indicated with a grey magnifying glass at bottom left of the photo.

That was indeed good news, especially for anyone staying at The Larches for the five months, April to August. But there was another nice surprise when we arrived in Chicago. “It was too difficult to send it”, said our son Barney, “but here’s a late birthday present I thought you’d like and could find room for”.

The super colour tinted photo from the turn of the century (see opposite) is of New York’s own Belvedere in Central Park. It will most likely join the Escher Belvedere print we already have in our own fine viewing point at The Larches.

Then a short while later there’s a knock on the front door and our two friends Ann and Elizabeth from Cockermouth are there in time for an evening meal. They had been on the A66 on the way back from a day out. “Have you seen the light out there?” they asked. “It’s been so amazingly clear as we travelled west. Can’t remember anything like this!”

With this endorsement what could I do but rush up the fellside with the camera before the light had gone? The photo below is taken from on top of the sedum roof of the Belvedere, with the Seldom Seen hamlet in the foreground and the shadows cast by the westering sun picking out the sinews and structure of the Skiddaw massif.

The ospreys have nested on the marshes this year instead of in Dodd wood and their nest is just visible from the Belvedere in the sunlit fields on the other side of the A66. Tell us what you think of the photo!

For several years we have watched as the coping stones on the top of the left front garden wall have slipped further downhill and earth has dropped into the road. Now the containing wall has been rebuilt by Rob and looks set good for another twenty five years. (See photo above).

One advantage here is that the front of the wall has now been pushed back towards the house about four inches. It may not sound much, but it gives that little bit more to the road width when people are parked outside The Larches. Lorries and waste removal vehicles will find it that much easier to reach the top of the ravine road.

Two years ago I promised myself I would cut back every year the high ferns on the steep bank above the large ground floor back bedroom. I failed last year but this June I managed to avoid the rain to get the work done – and before Midsummer Day. It helps to bring more light into the house and gives a better view of wildlife and birds.

Although we have not seen the red squirrels in the garden for several weeks, there have been recent sightings 100 metres down the road and in the copse opposite the house, where the footpath leads down to Thornthwaite Church.

The event was organised for The Friends of Whinlatter Forest with the Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) Project, which has received support recently from Prince Charles. The aim of the project is to safeguard red squirrels in the north and increase their numbers.

We started with a session inside where Charlotte Widgery from the RSNE project explained that the Whinlatter and Dodd Wood area contains about 200 red squirrels and described the signs to look for to assess where and whether the squirrels are active. These include their typical feeding areas and the different ways squirrels husk cones compared with mice.

The outside part of the course involved us in walking very slowly a typical transect route in the forest of about 1 kilometre, in baiting an area in advance of a survey and in setting up food traps for obtaining hair traces of the squirrels. These enable the research team to identify if the squirrel in question is a red or grey one. We are now trained volunteer surveyors and will be undertaking our first survey above The Larches over a two week period in May.

The key problem identified had been the increasing degradation of water in Bassenthwaite which was an immediate danger to the wide variety of wildlife dependent on the lake. Most well known are the ospreys, which visit annually and the vendace fish from the Ice Age. The project covered the whole of the 350 square kilometre catchment area which feeds its water into Bassenthwaite stretching as far as Thirlmere and Troutbeck near Keswick.

Established to deal with these problems of polluted ground water, land erosion, mine waste, threats to wildlife, excess phosphates, algae growth on the lake and invasive species like Himalayan Balsam on watercourses, it’s run over 30 practical projects on the ground as well as events to alert people to the need for improving the environment.

It has also had a very successful educational programme to alert the community to what can be done by individuals to support a more bio-diverse environment. Details of some of these like the Miles without stiles programme and the Oakwood Volunteers scheme can be found on the project website.

There are also seven fascinating maps on a 1:7500 scale of the historical development of the woodlands round Derwentwater, showing springs, saw pits, charcoal burning platforms, hog holes and other features. These were part of the Hidden Heritage project and can be copied for some fascinating walks.

Another success has been the Dubwath Meadows project, just three miles from The Larches, near the Pheasant Hotel. This has created a marvellous habitat for birdlife with raised walkways through the marshy ground. (See photo at the top) Well worth a visit!

I talked this week to Amanda Hancock from the project, who also works for the Forestry Commission, about the future and was pleased to hear that the work will still be continued through the partner bodies involved and several voluntary groups. More current information can be found at the partnership website. Let’s hope that Bassenthwaite below Skiddaw and Ullock Pike (see photo below) will continue to delight us as it has done over the generations.

The choice was excellent and although we only made it to three, one couple I spoke to were attending over half the shows. For £45 a pass was available for all events.

A Passionate Woman (2010), first shown as a BBC TV series made a great start, with author/director Kay Mellor talking very openly at the end of the session about her mother and the genesis of the film.

The second La Pivellina (2009) was a charming Italian film about an abandoned young child, being taken under the wing of a circus family. Our third, Search for Shangri-La was an interesting series of film sequences taken in Tibet by UK political officers. These had been selected by the BFI to show the country’s customs and traditions pre-1950.

One event we were sorry to miss was the Short Film awards for film makers in Cumbria. Details are on the festival website, but one we liked the look of was Endangered Species: Fell Pony Breeders. A shot of these entrancing animals on the Howgill fells – taken from the video – is at the top of the page. There is also an interview on the festival website with the owners of the ponies.

The 500,000 signing the 38 degrees Campaign petition to oppose the plan indicate how the Coalition has upset so many different interests – walkers, cyclists, mountaineers, environmentalists, orienteers, horse riders, dog lovers, volunteers, naturalists and ornithologists to name just a few.  It’s hard to think of an issue better designed to create a wider constellation of opponents!

In all the Forestry Commission woodlands represent only 18% of all forested land in the country and yet it was implied that the sale was essential to improve and modernise the use of the nation’s forests. 

What has angered many is the lack of thought about the impact the sell-off would have on access and biodiversity. Creating forest amenities, ensuring good paths and promoting habitat suitable for wildlife like the red squirrel – as has been done here in Thornthwaite Forest above The Larches – is expensive. Private companies buying the land would see their profits reduced substantially to undertake this. 

To its credit the Forestry Commission has responded to the demand for more recreational use by spending money and now in the north west raises more income from this source than from forestry activities. (See this photo of the 2008 Altura cycle trail launch event in Whinlatter Forest, only ½ mile from The Larches). As a result many Coalition MPs have been facing a simple question: “If it ain’t broke, why mend it?” Even their best answers have lacked all conviction.     

Last week the Government responded to the onslaught by announcing that the immediate selling off of 40,000 hectares was being postponed to allow consideration to be given to ensuring proper public access and wildlife conservation. 

It was a crack in the wall but as experts and users alike made clear, this was unlikely to satisfy the environmental concerns of the thousands who use our woodlands. Yesterday in the House of Commons the Prime Minister drew a line under the subject. 

“Are you happy”, he was asked “with progress on this flagship policy?”  ”The short answer to that is, no.” he replied. (Guardian, 16 February 2011) The proposal was to be dropped; details will be following later in the week. Good sense has emerged at last! 

Temperatures though have been a different matter, remaining for more than two weeks relentlessly sub-zero and reaching at times minus 10° C. Birds in our garden have been desperate for food and today we watched transfixed as a kestrel unsuccessfully quartered Castlerigg Fell looking for food.

For the first time in our memory Derwentwater has been frozen hard with people walking over to the islands and others skating along the margin of the lake. The photos above show firstly Keswick and the frozen lake with Blencathra behind on Christmas Eve and secondly the view of the landing stage with Grisedale behind.

The two atmospheric photos below, taken on Christmas Day show on the left Derwentwater looking west and right looking south down the lake into Borrowdale. Winter is indeed a marvellous time to be in the Lakes! But note that mountain rescue teams have stressed the dangers of walking on iced over water.