Tarn at Loughrigg The sound of beck and cascade in a Lake District landscape is a joy. Especially on a day after rain, when the sun shines. Today we had to wait until the afternoon but then the light was glorious.
Rain all day yesterday so the tarns were brim-full and overflowing, the pastures flooded at Pelter Bridge, Rydal. A blustery wind, stony tracks awash, flowing like becks. Silver How to Loughrigg, and then the sun shone forth.
Rain all day yesterday so the tarns were brim-full and overflowing, the pastures flooded at Pelter Bridge, Rydal. A blustery wind, stony tracks awash, flowing like becks. Silver How to Loughrigg, and then the sun shone forth.
Taking photographs of lichen in a stone wall, I heard the call of geese and a large chevron flew overhead. John Edmondson pointed out Sour Milk Gill- why 'sour' he speculated. I like curiosity in my companions. All day we heard the yaffle, the call of the green woodpecker. Nigel alerted us to their drumming as the breeding season advances. On a rainy, windy morning you have to go bareheaded for birdsong. Later, when the sun came out, ravens flew by gurgling and croaking. Great spotted woodpecker calling too. And nuthatch prepare to breed above Loughrigg Tarn where once I found them nesting. Gullies at Silver How have stands of juniper where ancient and twisted trunks are a striking feature. So many juniper but comparatively few berries, turning from green to black as they mature. Hazel catkins showed well, the long yellow male catkins. I like to find the tiny red female catkins which I knew might be novel to some of my companions. Jill noticed how few female flowers there are, compared to the abundant and highly visible male catkins. At Loughrigg, John showed us work he had done with the Lake District National Park mending gates and walling damaged by repeated vandalism. Why do people do that, asked one of our group?
Half-term and there were lots of folk out walking. We tried not to look at a singularly disgusting heap of litter. Then I noticed something seemingly horrible amongst tree- roots and was puzzled. Could it be fungus? Dawn and I stopped to investigate. Two specimens, whatever it is. 'The egg fungus,' she called it and the pale grey outer shell cracks to reveal something softer, like egg yolk. The outer grey was firm, the inner orange softer and sticky. Not sure how it attached to the tree bole, or grew out of the trunk. Investigation continues.
Next moment, the sun appeared and it was glorious. The atmosphere was full of moisture and when we concluded our walk cloud sat over The Lion and the Lamb, at Grasmere, as if it had never really lifted. At Loughrigg, I looked for the seed-heads of bog asphodel and could not find them- this was a Ramblers' walk so we kept moving. (unless distracted by egg fungus and a mystery.) I like the rhythms of grass tussocks that appear in that first misty image as the sun breaks through.
Next moment, the sun appeared and it was glorious. The atmosphere was full of moisture and when we concluded our walk cloud sat over The Lion and the Lamb, at Grasmere, as if it had never really lifted. At Loughrigg, I looked for the seed-heads of bog asphodel and could not find them- this was a Ramblers' walk so we kept moving. (unless distracted by egg fungus and a mystery.) I like the rhythms of grass tussocks that appear in that first misty image as the sun breaks through.
Thanks to Jill Hayes for leading us on an enjoyable walk on Silver How and Loughrigg
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