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!
Brilliant curlew photos Dave, and really good close-ups of the heron. Ann
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