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.