Walking on .. water?

December 27th, 2010

P1010915 Heavy snow and freezing conditions have brought chaos to many parts of the country with roads impassable and airports closed, but in Cumbria snowfall has been comparatively light over the Christmas period.

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.

P1010968 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.

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Posted in Environment, Local news, Seasons, Walking, Wildlife | 1 Comment »

Nutcases

September 26th, 2010

P1010521 No, I am not talking about the eccentrics you sometimes meet in the pub and can’t get away from. These nutcases  are much more interesting – evidence that our red squirrel is here and enjoying the hazel nuts that we’ve been putting out.

I saw the empty shells on the steps leading to the belvedere (see photo opposite) a few days ago and hoped that we’d catch sight of him. He’s shy and tends to come early in the morning. Yesterday when I was in the kitchen a movement outside caught my eye. It was 8.30 am.

P1010519 The squirrel was on the feeder box, a bright russet bundle of bounding energy. Over the next 10 minutes he was back five times, always following the same route – up behind the left hand holly trunk, move round to the front, turn to the right, down head first to the feeder, pause on the ledge, inspect to see no danger from the house or path, then head under the flap to find a nut. Then he repeats the same route in reverse and scampers away up the fellside into the forest.

Curiously this time the nuts were all carried off. None were eaten immediately. Our guess is he thinks it’s time to be burying the nuts now for winter – we have seen this happen before. The snag of this? Squirrels often forget where the nuts are buried so we get a lot of small hazels sprouting up in the spring!

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Red squirrels return

July 27th, 2010

squirrel_sighting1007e We have heard tales of red squirrels being found dead recently, bringing worries that they might be under threat in Seldom Seen from disease caught from the grey squirrels. They may have been put off by an extension being built last year opposite the cottage.

They have been less evident in the garden although we have had two reports since April of sightings. So it was great to get an email today from Lee, who is staying at The Larches this week, attaching the photo here of a red squirrel on the breakfast terrace.

He writes: “Your letter arrived about 10 minutes before the red squirrel! This was our first sighting, hazel nuts have been opened each day and I was hoping it was red and not grey! I have attached a picture, it’s not great as it was a little rushed! It was taken from the upstairs bedroom window at 09.27.”

squirrel_sighting1007_2e POSTSCRIPT
Shortly after posting this blog, we got another email from Lee, attaching this second great photo of the acrobatic squirrel at the feeding box and commenting:

The squirrel came back at around 12 o’clock …. It appeared to be hiding quite a lot of the nuts in the garden and eating one or two. It was a real treat to watch. I’m glad it was raining, if it wasn’t, we would have gone out and missed it!

These are the first photos we’ve had of the red squirrel for over a year, so thanks to Lee for sending them.

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Ospreys join in the hunting

May 5th, 2010

osprey_teton2 It’s a good news story again for 2010, which is getting plenty of headlines in the local papers. Like old friends, the ospreys are back to Bassenthwaite after a long return trip to West Africa.

Under 24 hour observation by RSPB volunteers, the nesting site in Dodd Wood, only a mile distant from us, is just visible from the Belvedere with a good pair of binoculars. There’s a good webcam too and much more on the award winning Osprey Watch site.

The ospreys are good news for local shops, hotels and small businesses as they attract visitors to the area, still recovering from last November’s floods. But they are not the only show in the valley.

There are other birds of prey which are fascinating to watch. Peregrines and sparrow hawks are frequently about and yesterday, walking with friends on Coledale Common below Barrow, I looked up to see 20 metre ahead of me, a kestrel hover in the wind, stoop down on a small vole and carry it off still squeaking to a nearby rock.

An hour later a buzzard was wheeling in huge circles high above Braithwaite Lodge and the nearby plantation, as we descended to the village. If you want some good bird watching, the Derwent valley and the northern lakes take a lot of beating.

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After the November floods

April 30th, 2010

IMG_4287 The last week’s seen a burst for summer. Our recently planted oaks have pushed out their first leaves, the azaleas are expanding into flower and the huge beech in the forest above The Larches has now a waving mass of fresh green leaves. This morning a peacock and an orange tip butterfly perched lazily in the sun on the pot of pansies on the Breakfast terrace.

It all seems a long way from the flooded rivers five months ago (see my 23rd November blog posting,), which brought misery and heartache as families became homeless, bridges and footpaths were smashed and hundreds of small businesses were brought to their knees.

IMG_4057 The good news is that substantial repair work has been done. At Little Braithwaite, the smashed side of the beck has been rebuilt with huge rocks and a massive bank of earth behind (see photo), while at High Hill in Keswick the Greta river has now a raised concrete containing wall with 6 inches thick facing stones.

IMG_4272 The bad news here – according to one of the stone masons I spoke to – is that this is not high enough and it will have to be increased in height at least a further 10 inches when there is more money available. Oh yes and at Little Braithwaite there’s a problem too. The road bridge – which crossed behind the hedge in the middle photo – was swept away and will not be replaced before next year. You’ve probably guessed the reason by now!

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