Yellow Irises and a Barn Owl

The yellow flag irises are out down on Newby Moor, the SSSI that covers much of the valley below us. 

Patches of ground in the lowest lying areas and along the beck sides, and in the wonderfully sunny weather that we have had these last few days, they look magnificent!

A few days ago, we had offered to collect an arriving guest at Clapham station at about 6pm. As Di drove back with our guest, Jack and I walked back along the road - about 3miles & normally taking about 1½hours ('cos of all the interesting smells that have to be checked!)

Out of the corner of his eye, I caught a glimpse of a bird, not sure what it was, so stopped & waited for it to show again.

Over the next  hour a barn owl hunted across the moor, returning three or four times to the apex of a ruined barn, 
well away from the road.

These are distant photos, taken at maximum zoom. The 'one that got away' was the one where the owl was heading straight for me, face-on, 30, then 20 yards away....
            ....but Jack & I were in the middle of the road with a tractor bearing down on us, less than 20 yards away. "Oh, ***!"

Thank You!

A few days ago we received a couple of "Thank You" letters. It's always a pleasant surprise and nice to receive.
One was from one of three lovely ladies, away on their annual get-together, off walking by day & filling the house with happy chatter whilst in.
The other letter was from "Country Walking" magazine, who say that we have been recommended by one of their team or by a reader as a welcoming and lovely place to stay.

So, to both - a big "Thank you" from us

From the Crooklands Chronicle:-

 

Last Wednesday morning, bright & early, Celeb TV star, Jack, dragged his co-star up to the top of Ingleborough to enjoy a gorgeous sunny breakfast of biscuits & water (both!). It was John's first time since before his accident & a long-stated aim to achieve before the end of June. On the way down Jack had a wonderful time chasing rabbits & on getting home, enjoyed a special relaxing doze in the sun, whilst the co-star went off for his hydrotherapy session.

 

You can't get the staff these days...the co-star hasn't figured out how to get photos from Di's phone to the computer yet!

 

Woofs & licks,

Jack.

Local wildlife

It's been a real pleasure each morning recently, to see a hare munching away, under the bathroom window...

 ...and then there were two! (Maybe they're working on a few more!)







There have been curlews around for a few weeks now, after a late start. In previous years they arrived at the end of February, but the first I heard this year was in mid-March. My camera is never near when I do see one, so it was a pleasant surprise to see one walk through the viewfinder as I watched the hares!

And then there have been buzzards around a lot recently. With most lambs born in the fields there will have been afterbirth to feed off, if they can beat the gulls, jackdaws & crows to it, and not get chased off. Gulls & crows can be very persistent, dive-bombing & harrassing buzzards.

Male pheasants are in full, bright plumage; females tucked into safe corners in hedgerows & verges, sitting on eggs, becoming as inconspicuous as possible. They really are difficult to see, their colouring fits in so well. 

Sadly, I saw a dead stoat beside the road yesterday, presumably roadkill.

Over the last week to ten days the fields have gone from olive brown to green. At last the temperature has risen enough for grass to grow. Lambs are growing, bouncing around, charging around the field edges, climbing through gates & over walls. And there are plenty of young rabbits around ... have to let Jack loose to scare them out of the garden!

Fieldfares

Two Fieldfares seen in the field alongside the house. Like sleek thrushes, similar size but with 'brilliant white' undersides, brown back & wings & grey head.

Stayed around for a couple of days.

Extreme dog walking!

Following on from yesterday's post - Di had come home from walking Jack with tall stories of crossing the tops of hedges and a car covered by drifting snow. Well....

 

The daft thing is - there's so much snow, but the fields are green!
And, slowly, it's thawing. "less snow than yesterday" says Di.

Spring? - Part 2

After what seems like 10 days of continuous easterly, cold, winds - now we've had a blizzard!

Not much snow on the ground where there's no shelter because the strength of the wind has scoured it away. 

Sheep shelter where they can, here behind a barn, and behind walls. One seen from our bedroom window was lying up to its shoulders in drifted snow.

Walking wasn't much fun, blown snow stinging any exposed skin. And drifting, eddying snow forming graceful shapes.

Today it's brighter. The sun is shining. The road is open. The wind is still cold & strong ... time to get outside! Jack needs a walk and we need some air.