25-30th July 2013, Canal and moorland wandering

The week's wanders began on the anniversary of my birthday, a hot day in the office at work meant the opportunity for a walk in the fresh evening air was welcome. A short drive to Kildwick offers a lovely short route by the Leeds Liverpool canal, the sun is out, the new camera and lens are with me and straight away I find a grey heron...

A couple of mallards sailed by..

And a lovely fluffy duckling came close...

A glass or two of something nice and cold was beckoning at home to celebrate the day and I didn't walk for long, heading back to the car I spotted a rabbit basking in the evening sun..

On Saturday I headed up to Rombald's Moor, the high land between Silsden, Keighley and Ilkley. Temperatures were already high when I set out, what I think is a small heath butterfly flitted to and fro....

Bumping into a familiar face is usually good and when I met up with an old work mate who was walking his dog on the moor time passed quickly as we reminisced and caught up on the last five years.

I kept seeing dragonflies around the damp edges of the moor, a patient vigil brought a reward when this migrant hawker settled for a while...

Moving through the lifeless forest I emerged again onto Ilkley Moor, the cotton grass is still a feature...

Small tortoiseshell butterflies are numerous too...

I was having no luck with bird sightings apart from distant grouse until this meadow pipit showed quite close.............

Deciding on a route change I descended past the local feature of the Doubler Stones..

A short wander down the farm track and diversion via a road took me to a track that has brought good sightings in the past, today I found another small tortoiseshell..

The sound of a curlew in wheeling flight always gains my attention, this one came close enough for me to get a few decent shots..

Yet another small tortoiseshell...

A small skipper....a first for me..

Finally trudging back into town, all hot and bothered and in need of liquid refreshment, a swallow posed on the telephone cable..

The forecast for Sunday was not good and I had promised to get some jobs done in the garden, mainly digging out the basic shape for a small pond...my consultant for the day was appropriate :-)

Despite the dire forecast and a couple of heavy showers the weather was not too bad and we had some spectacular clouds..

Monday was comprised of tasks here and at my Mum's, a very short walk on the moor yielded one decent photograph of another meadow pipit...

Similarly a short canal walk on Tuesday brought me one photograph too, a grey heron on the hunt...

It really is a tough time at the moment for bird spotting, the adults and fledglings are chirping and singing merrily in the heavy foliage of summer. Patience and persistence are required, and when you love just being out in the fresh air and enjoying a walk those two qualities are not too hard to find!

20-22nd July 2013, A grey but fine weekend

I was looking forward to last weekend, a hot sunny week led to high expectations and I had a good walk on Rombald's Moor planned for Saturday.

With my camera cleaned and charged and a kind offer of a lift at both ends of the walk to save me some unnecessary road plodding all looked good. Some high white and grey cloud persisted but the forecast was for the sun to break through before too long and I began my walk at Keighley Gate.

Some days, despite all my fieldcraft practice, all I seem able to do is disturb wildlife no matter how much care I take! As I set out along side the wall red grouse took to the air in every direction, their noisy flight seeming to mock me, good job I was in an optimistic mood.

Eventually I found a willing model, a lovely meadow pipit, a theme that was to continue all the walk!

There is lots of cotton grass at the moment...

The conditions have been wonderful for butterflies, a small tortoiseshell...

The meadow pipits were either feeling sorry for me or oblivious to whatever clumsiness was making the grouse flee :-))

Some of the patches of cotton grass were so dense I could try some variations in focal length..

The sun was finding gaps in the cloud now and again, a gentle breeze blew and the day was far from unpleasant.

A rest break on a handy rock brought me a lovely neighbour, yes a meadow pipit again!

There are good markers to the strength of the wind up here...

I am gaining more knowledge about butterflies but needed help from a friend to confirm that this a wall brown..

A large white settled momentarily...

A hover fly...

Another small tortoiseshell...

And a ringlet and small tortoiseshell sharing a flower...

A good walk and I was happy with how I coped with the weight of the new camera plus backpack on a decent walk in warm conditions.

On Sunday afternoon we drove up to Malham to meet the RSPB team, it is nearly the end of their stint for the year. Three successfully fledged peregrine falcon chicks is testimony to their work, let alone the hosts of other birds they help people to see and identify.

On the way up to the viewpoint we spotted a grey heron near the beck...

Near the viewpoint a lovely redstart posed on a tree stump...

A grey wagtail gathered food for its family...

I spotted house martins taking a sip of water in the edge of the beck, although this first shot was a complete accident as the bird took off straight at me...

Another grey wagtail shot...

A greenfinch on the RSPB feeders...

And one of the adult peregrines made an appearance, the nature of the sky made my photographs silhouettes though...

The grey heron was still there as we returned to the car...

Family jobs limited my time on Monday but I had sufficient to allow a short moorland walk, perhaps my luck or skill with the red grouse would have changed....

Still finding meadow pipits...

Near the end of my wander things changed :-))

And that evening a fine moon too..........

The change in the weather and the ensuing thundery conditions have meant no further midweek expeditions but maybe things will improve again next week.

Many thanks to all who read and enjoy, thanks also if you wish to add a comment....don't forget though that comments come to me first for approval..........