Autumn Gentian - 31st August 2011

Autumn Gentian (31st August 2011)

You’ve lost the flower since last seen,
Though more white flowers are on show today,
And you still have more to open.
Normally you would be showing purple flowers.

You are almost solitary, high up here,
But today I found you had another friend,
Growing within about 20ft but not yet flowered.
You also have more friends some 150 feet away.

All three of you, have set on grassy anthills,
I hope the Badgers don’t get at you!
You’re also close to where I saw squinancywort,
And the most beautiful of carpeted thyme.

Gud Morning Mi Lady- Tresses (26th Aug 2011)

Gud Morning Mi Lady…..Tresses (26th Aug 2011)

Everybody says the same thing!
When I show them the Autumn Lady’s Tresses..
“Well we would never have noticed them unless you had showed us”,
their so small and difficult to see,
Even to the trained eye, they can be easily missed.
And if you count them today there might be 40 spikes,
But probably if I counted them again tomorrow there would be 35 or even 45.

They always are so special a little flower how they,
Twist, or wind or spiral,
Like climbing a Helter-Skelter.
With greyish, silverish green coloured platted stalks,
They look West across the bay,
Huddled beneath those nearby limestone outcrops,
Yet forever trying to dodge the marauding munching sheep”

A couple of weeks and you will have gone,
You’ve been so patient to hang on,
You are the last in the Orchid queue,
And thanks for providing another close view…..

Hutton Roof - Wryneck & Autumn Gentian (25th Aug 2011)

I suppose a big incentive today was the recent reports I had earlier in the week of a definate Wryneck sighting, and a possible Icterine Warbler seen to the East of the Trig Point area on Monday last the 22nd August 2011, and the same observer went back the following morning Tuesday the 23rd, the Wryneck and Warbler had already moved on yet in this ever productive area, he did have 3 Greenland Wheatear and 5 Whitethroats.

So Another visit by me to that most wonderful of places Hutton Roof Trig point and beyond, became an absolute necessity today.

Whilst climbing up through Dalton Crags, it seemed so peaceful and you could almost hear a pin drop! but this was not to last long before I could hear the droning sound of distant aircraft, like the sound you would hear at airshows of when planes do circles and it sounds like their engines cut out and then restart up again. Later the culprits of the droning where to show with a rather close up flypast. I recognised them, they were two planes which come through here on a almost daily basis, they always fly low and carry the air force emblem on the side. A little like the shape of "Spitfires" or that sort of profile, I think perhaps they could be a sort of training plane.

Just on reaching the low summit of the climb through the Crags and before proceeding through the upper deforested area. I could not help but notice in the vale below almost opposite to where the recent now removed charcoal burners were, a Spotted Flycatcher regularly flying off its branch and doing its hover flycatching, I think there could well have been more of them, I could see odd flashes of similar birds in trees just below the bird I witnessed.

I had a couple of Small Heath Butterflies whilst heading up and through the deforested area.

High in the sky perhaps almost over the Park Wood area there was a group of five soaring Buzzards, and high over the Trig where a party of four Ravens continually honking as they moved across.

There were lots of hirundines feeding over the Crags deforested area along with the summit of the Trig Area on Hutton Roof, probably hundreds, but difficult to establish which were local birds, and which where birds of passage. One party of approximately 20 Sand Martins headed straight through to the South along with lots of determined Swallows and several House Martins, but a very large party of hundred plus seemed quite happy just to hunt and circulate the area. Did also have a pair of Tree Pipits which I think may have been passage birds.

All the local stuff seemed to have moved on, with no calling birds of Mipits or Warblers.

It was a great delight to find a new flower for me, which on checking was a "Autumn Gentian", and to my best knowledge a solitary specimen, I checked all over but could not find anymore. This particular specimen is probably of special interest in that it has white flowers.

St Thomas Church, Milnthorpe (23rd August 2011)

What a lovely day it was yesterday whilst in Milnthorpe.
The sun was shining down, and I was sat on the benches besides the green.
Taking in the vitamin D whilst watching the World go by,
With time to spare, I could not resist but sketch the beautiful Church.

Helm Crag - Grasmere - 17th August 2011

“Lion and the Lamb” - Helm Crag.

Up there so grand, you lie and watch,
Sentinel, paired eternal friends.
Like guardians to this fair vale, you look upon,
We listen to your roars, so loud at times,
Or suffer your bleating cries, with rushing tears.

Climb we will, your rugged plinth,
For intimacy some shall seek and cherish,
And touch and feel your toughened body,
Warm, cold, wet or dry, your silvery mane,
Such is the welcome of your high domain.


Here are a few photos of todays views: Top) Photo taken on the top of Helm Crag showing the rear of the magnificent "Lion and the Lamb" which stand like guardians looking over Grasmere. The 2nd photo is of "The Howitzer", which is the highest point on Helm Crag. The 3rd photo is looking down from the higher sections of Helm Crag towards "The Swan". The 4th photo is yet another one from the higher sections looking South and you can just see the Mere on the right hand side. The 5th photo is looking down on the beautiful "Dunmail Raise" pass. And the 6th and final photo is of "Helm Crag" taken from Easedale at the base.

Many A Swallow leaves our Shore (16th August 2011)

It’s a few days now since the Swifts left,
Well most of them that is, odd ones still to go,
But go they will, just like the Swallows and Martins,
Who have also started to leave us.

It seems only yesterday, I counted the first,
Swallow, but that didn’t make a Summer!
A few on the wires today, far less than yesterday, but!
Still some about, maybe they’re triple brooders!

Bye bye for now Swallow, do your best,
We want you back, with all the rest,
I’m counting now 232 days, to go!
Before your back, and when I can shout!

Two Swallows do make a Summer!