Dippers
104 days ago
It’s always a good feeling to be out and about early. I may not feel like it – getting-up at times – especially if I’ve to get in a car, because that generally means a long journey and perhaps a business meeting at the end of it.
Not this morning though, it was easy. I woke early anyway and Rufus (always eager to be out-and-about) and I set-off to the beck for a visit at the other end of the day for a change. The reward was finding a pair of Dipper.
Earlier I’ve mentioned that the Dipper seems to have died out around here, so I was pleased to find them. Although, at first I thought it was the noisy Kingfishers – as the Dipper’s song is a tuneful warbling. Maybe this meeting was a couple at the edges of their respective, clearly defined boundaries and they were exchanging pleasantries, or maybe it was a family discussion. Either way, it’‘s good to know they’re still with us.
Aquatic Hare
284 days ago
Every now and then you see rather amusing incidents that take wild animals completely by surprise, and seem to wrench them from their normal physical composure.
The duck landing on ice, that really has no business being there, cats falling off things and my dog (actually his Dad did it as well) falling over after finding himself asleep on his feet, that sort of thing.
However, this is not the case with the Rabbits around here and swimming. Now, I’m not saying they’re doing it recreationally, more likely something to do with their peace and quiet being disturbed by my wanderings, but this afternoon a Hare really took the biscuit.
I was just wondering whether it was worth the surety of getting wet whilst crossing the beck, which is in spate after the recent heavy rain, to do the long low walk across the pastures (plenty of new lambs around) when a Hare shot across in front of me. It completed a huge leap from a (now) low bank, half way across and proceeded to erm lepus-paddle at some speed and in a strong current, to the other bank. Without missing it’s stride it shot-off over the horizon. Rufus and I just stood there and watched with our collective mouths wide open in amazement.
Life Returns
301 days ago
It’s been a weary place, plodding along through the soaked grass – bent to the inclement wind, when walking the beck of late – so thought I’d amuse myself with a heron sketch or three.
But now there are signs of life, with the first pair of Oyster Catchers returning on the 5th to keep the lonely Heron company.
He’s normally stood hopefully out in the meadows looking juicy morsels, as the river’s been bursting with thick muddy water and Rufus takes great delight in stalking him.
(I make many references to the beck throughout this blog, but I’ll just one common GeoTag link – and I promise not to overuse it!)
Flooding
350 days ago
I took my camera with me yesterday and took a couple of snaps to compare with the situation last year.
Looks like the meadows have suffered a bit more this year:
Thinnings
351 days ago
Somebody’s been busy with laying hedges and thinning the copse at the bend in the river, along one of my usual daily walks.
It’s good news that there is active management of such a small clump of trees (we are not heavily wooded here) and the favoured specimens should flourish. It’s just a shame that so much timber has been left on the ground. I know the beetles and fungi like their fair share, but when there is reasonable timber (OK probably only firewood) left I feel it’s a bit of a waste.
When I think of waste and wood, I think of carbon, and over the last couple of months I’ve looking at the Carbon Offsetting industry, or more specifically, methods locking-up carbon. There appear to have been some real horror stories with money disappearing into poorly implemented or even downright nefarious schemes, plus a lot which just don’t seem to do much.
Eventually, I came to the conclusion, with the help of the guys at Newton Rigg (sorry now it has to be a University – of Cumbria), that the only viable method is to plant trees (please don’t misunderstand, this is quite distinct from technology efficiency and waste/energy management). Yes, the original and still the best! Defra launched a consultation on a Code of Best Practice for the provision of carbon offsetting to UK customers on 18 January 2007, Joan Ruddock said we would be getting it on 13 July, but despite promises for the Autumn of 2007, we still wait…
…in the mean-time, an international Voluntary Carbon Standard has arrived and I rather think defra have been left with their collective pants down, again.
With some of our Civil Servants publicly denying the need for food security, one can see the political attitude toward the farmer and land-use within the UK. In certain regions of our small islands, there is huge pressure on the use of land for non-agricultural use and in other areas, farmers struggle to eke a living. The importance of tourism to Britain plc and preserving the Thomas Hardy image of the countryside, certainly not as a modern workplace, must not be underestimated and I can see the offsetting business ousting agriculture in the more remote and upland areas. We could end-up with battery-egg on our faces.
Mind you, finding dry land at the moment can be tricky. With, at the last count, 15 severe flood warnings and 124 flood warnings in place across England and Wales, it’s thought a month’s rain landed today (sorry, yesterday). I’ve taken some photos of the beck when out with Rufus – will post later.
Walking the beck
654 days ago
Well, the beck is nearly back up to strength on bird species variety, with a very good showing of Teal.
The Kingfishers haven’t appeared yet, but generally it is getting quite noisy with the Oyster Catchers, Sandpipers, Lapwing and Curlew, with Wagtails twittering around.
Sketched a Blackbird road casualty for a future painting of the birds that used to (and probably still do) feed on the vines in some old glasshouses I knew. They shot in whenever the doors where opened and attacked the grapes from below.
Here comes the rain
1232 days ago
Couldn’t find a Curlew or Sand Martin as the rain moved in, seemingly to draw an end to the summer. The Swallows – all ganged up – were feeding at zero level over the pasture, appearing almost to be perched on the grass in the breeze ahead of the rain.
The river seems very subdued now, sure the Heron screeches off at my approach, but the Wagtails are left to quietly bob about their business.
Silence
1237 days ago
Over the last few days (since the second weekend in August) whilst walking my usual stretch of Winterburn Beck, it was clear that a host of birds have departed. No noisy reception from the Sandpiper, Redshank and Oystercatcher or aerial antics from the Lapwing. The Curlew is still here in force, but the river is much quieter for the remaining Sand Martins.