Lapwing Nest

I just came across the photo below of a Lapwing nest that a friend took in the next meadow about 3 years ago at around this time of year.  We were walking across the meadow and almost stepped on this lovely nest in a hollow - the perfect geometric arrangement of the eggs in the nest and the colours are just wonderful.

Training Walk - Alpine Trip

Since I'm off the Stubai Alps on 6th July for a 2 week hut-to-hut tour I felt that I should get up very early and get out with a bit of weight in the rucksac and do a few miles to break-in my new Alt-Berg boots in preparation for the trip.  The meadows are still all-yellow with buttercups and at least at the start the weather was fine and sunny.  My usual training route takes me up to Dale Head then over to the Reeth to Tan Hill road then up via Little Punchard Gill onto the tops at Whaw Edge.  The view from up there is really geat - looking out over Bowes Moor to the North and looking back North East across Arkengarthdale to the maze of stonewalled fields surrounding Hill Top Farm.

Looking South West from Whaw Bridge

Curlews & Lapwings everywhere and occasionally Snipe & Oystercatcher as I progress along past Great Pinseat past the remains of the lead mining pits until turning down North by Tottergill Pasture & Hungry Hushes to get back to the road at Spence Intake.  By now it had clouded-over and the wind had picked-up - nevertheless the lovely yellow meadows were still gleaming as I went down to Whaw & hence home via Low Faggergill.

Looking South from Whaw Bottoms

 

Return to Arkengarthdale

We have been away for a week in Northern Scotland and as we come down-dale from the Tan Hill Pub up on Bowes Moor in late afternoon we see the huge carpet of yellow meadows above Whaw - always an amazing sight at this time of year - even though it's blurred a bit by the light drizzle sweeping the dale.  This isn't the harsh glare of yellow that one gets from vast fields of Rape but it's a warmer, softer golden yellow - altogether kinder to the eye and with us only for a week or two before it fades as taller meadow grasses over-top the buttercups.  Enjoy it whilst its with us.  Then we follow the single track lane below Whaw wood and turn up the steep hill to Low Faggergill Farm, collect our week's post from Laurence & Gladys and drive up to Hill Top Farm.

At Gales Gate a Curlew suddenly rises up out of the thick reshes startled by us & wheels away skimming the drystone walls  - so huge when seen close-by with those elegant curved wings and the long curved beak.  Then again another couple of Curlews start-up as we pass into the Hill Top Farm hay meadows, with the reduced farm traffic at this time of year and us away for a week they have not been disturbed much all week I'm sure. As we unload the car the rippling sound of Curlews song fills the dale - perhaps the most wonderful of all the birdsong in the Dales - yes Scotland was just great but its so good to be back home.

 

Meadows & Lapwing

Meadow on Whaw Bottoms Road

Hill Top Farm is situated at 1250 ft and its interesting to see the difference in the condition of the wildflower meadows between Hilltop and the meadows down at Whaw which is about 270ft lower down by Arkle Beck.  If you compare this photo taken yesterday with the photo in the previous blog - it's quite amazing how much further on the lower meadow is.  We also see this altitude difference when the Swallows come back in the Spring - we see them first in the yard down at Low Fagggergill Farm when we drive down the track and they seem to take another 10 - 14 days or so to get up the 200ft to Hill Top Farm and settle in.

Fledgling Lapwing

This year we seem to have only a couple of pair of Swallows and occasionally they perch on the wire fence immediately outside my office window preening themselves meticulously - one year I saw a Swallow swooping by her fledgling who was sitting on the barbed wire fence feeding it with tit-bit bugs "on the wing" - amazing flying & coordination.

This shot on the left is of the fledgeling Lapwing in the top field - still not able to get airborne when I open the car door to take the photo - I'm sure the agitated parents swooping about in alarm and making a din will be happy when the fledgling finally takes to the air which has to be any day soon.

June Evening - Hill Top Farm

20:30 It's a lovely warm, calm & sunny June evening - sitting in the garden overlooking Arkle Beck I'm watching the Oystercatcher, Curlew and Lapwing wheel about in the quiet dale.  Sadly there seem to be fewer & fewer Lapwing nesting in the fields around us each year.  But when we drive the track we see every day the one Lapwing chick scurrying about on the level field watched over by an anxious mother - it seems to grow by the day and we always slow down watching out for it every time we drive the track.  There were two chicks originally but I guess one was taken early on so we are willing this remaining one to make it to adolescence. 

Looking South from Hill Top Garden

It's half eight and as the sun goes down it's begining to get hazy in the depth of Arkle Beck valley but it's not yet cool enough to go in - so peaceful; just the noise of a couple of Curlews wheeling overhead and the faint background bleat of sheep in the valley bottom. We have waited so long for this lovely  weather after such a poor Spring and it's so good.

SSSI Meadow - Hill Top Farm

The SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) meadows behind the house are just beginning to blossom with the first wildflower stage where buttercups form a carpet over the whole meadow - later on other wildflowers will take over and eventually when they have seeded they will be overgrown with the long grass and my farmer neighbor will take his hay crop.  I'll keep you posted on the progress with photos.