Hilltop Wall - Micro Lichen/Moss Garden

Just a couple of photos of the amazing micro-forest of lichen & moss that seem to thrive on the top of the garden stone wall.  Someone said that this happens when one has clean unpolluted air & we have lots of that up here - slight problem of course is that this wonderful quality air is often moving by a quite a pace!

Hilltop Swallows Depart

We had a meeting of Reeth Writers Group up here on Monday evening and whilst we were working the swallows were zooming about outside and clustering on the wires in an unusually frantic state of activity and then the following morning we came out to find them gone.  There are still swallows down at Low Faggergill Farm and one wonders if the usual cycle at the beginning of their annual visit applies when they leave, namely the pattern of them gathering down at Low Faggergill then the Hilltop contingent coming up to us about 4 - 5 days later - so maybe they "go-down" to Low Faggergill to gather there for a few days before they move out together and head south for Africa for the winter?  Or do the Hilltop group head off directly from here and not gather first with the "downland" swallows before leaving?

It's so much quieter now up here with the departure of the waders and the Swallows - a bit sad but of course part of the year's cycle and at least we can be sure they'll all be back again next year.