Red grouse looking down on his domain Swallows are taking up residence about the farm at Smardale Hall. New arrivals join the resident red grouse we hope to see and hear up on Smardale Fell where vistas are splendid. A network of field-walls patterns the fells, sunlight catching the top-stones and highlighting the rise and fall of the wall over unseen contours. There are fossils in chunks of limestone, mingling with sandstone in stone walls descending from the heather fell to Smardale packhorse bridge and disused sandstone quarry.
A wheatear recently flown in from Africa perches on the top-stones of a field-wall that looks out over pastures with ewes and lambs. A male skylark alights on a tussock, his raised crest showing in silhouette. Skylark share the heather fell with meadow pipit, their songs mingling. A red grouse breaks from the heather close to our feet and flies low. Small birds perch atop the wall we follow and a distant wheatear shows against the outline of intersecting fells. A red grouse perches on the wall and watches us for some moments, then strides off over a jagged crest of top-stones. He appears to be wearing white pantaloons, from thigh to feathered feet. Up on the moors in winter snows those feathers will insulate against the cold. In all weathers, the heather moor is their place.
This late April day is bright and rather warm. What a contrast with 5th April 2018 when there were red grouse in the snow up on Pen Y Ghent.
A wheatear recently flown in from Africa perches on the top-stones of a field-wall that looks out over pastures with ewes and lambs. A male skylark alights on a tussock, his raised crest showing in silhouette. Skylark share the heather fell with meadow pipit, their songs mingling. A red grouse breaks from the heather close to our feet and flies low. Small birds perch atop the wall we follow and a distant wheatear shows against the outline of intersecting fells. A red grouse perches on the wall and watches us for some moments, then strides off over a jagged crest of top-stones. He appears to be wearing white pantaloons, from thigh to feathered feet. Up on the moors in winter snows those feathers will insulate against the cold. In all weathers, the heather moor is their place.
This late April day is bright and rather warm. What a contrast with 5th April 2018 when there were red grouse in the snow up on Pen Y Ghent.
The eye ranges from vistas across the sweep of the fells to detail down in heather deep brown with last summer’s seed-heads, the sun catching strands of spider silk. Celandine and wood anemone are scattered amongst heather and golden grasses.
Ewes and lambs are everywhere, in pastures and up on Smardale Fell. There are wildfires in Scotland and on Smardale Fell mud is dried out and crazed, no sign of the recent wet wet winter.
Down in Smardale Gill there are banks of primroses and I search for herb Paris which is in bud amongst a scatter of bluebells. The flora and fauna of the day comes in a reprise of what might be expected at this season. It’s an affirmation, a reassurance.
Ewes and lambs are everywhere, in pastures and up on Smardale Fell. There are wildfires in Scotland and on Smardale Fell mud is dried out and crazed, no sign of the recent wet wet winter.
Down in Smardale Gill there are banks of primroses and I search for herb Paris which is in bud amongst a scatter of bluebells. The flora and fauna of the day comes in a reprise of what might be expected at this season. It’s an affirmation, a reassurance.
Delighted to see two brown hare up on Smardale Fell. There were wood anemone and celandine amongst the heather. Spring comes a little earlier down in Smardale Gill where primrose and herb Paris were found.
RSS Feed