Canalside again

 
I didn't have a walk planned last Sunday but it was such a lovely day that decided I had to get out. I set off a bit vaguely, headed for the stretch of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal between Riddlesden and Keighley, which I haven't walked... ever? Well, certainly not for a very long time. It starts off in a fairly built-up area but the houses are nice, with gardens down to the canalside, all rather beautiful.

The canal, sited mid-way up the valley side, skirts Keighley town but you get good views across the valley - and eventually across Keighley Golf Club's greens.

Out here, it's more rural and peaceful. Since we've had a little rain in the last few days, suddenly everywhere is looking very green and lush.

I noticed a pretty white butterfly - maybe a green-veined white? (I'm not much good at identifying them.)

There are broods of newly hatched ducklings all along the canal. This mama looks a bit of a hybrid, so I imagine the ducklings will grow up hybrid too - if, indeed, they are lucky enough to grow up at all. It's sad how the early numbers, 7 in this case, seem to dwindle, often to just a couple as they grow.

As I paused to take a photo of the bluebell haze in the woods on the other bank, a couple were passing by in the opposite direction. The lady stopped and asked if I'd been in the nature reserve. Nature reserve? No, I didn't even know there was one. So she gave me directions. It wasn't much further to walk - and what a treat that proved to be....

Devon: Contemplation

One day, our theme was 'Contemplation'. That's not difficult at Lee Abbey. Around the house and on the estate there are many places to sit and contemplate, often with wonderful views of Lee Bay. There are delightful, meandering walks through the woods and a wealth of wildlife, carefully nurtured by the farming and estate management systems used there. These are some of the images that caught my eye that day:

The vantage point known as Upper Jenny's Leap gives a great view down onto the beach. The spot is supposedly named after a sad young woman, Jennefried, who, in the 1600s, was due to marry but then discovered her lover had married someone else. Legend has it that she wandered the estate all night and in the morning her body was discovered by the water's edge. Happily the people by the water's edge when I looked down were alive and frolicking! I loved the patterns the waves were making.

There's an abundance of wildflowers and thus insects and butterflies. The one below is a common Large White but attractive nevertheless.

On top of a hill overlooking the sea there are three wooden crosses, sometimes used as a focus at Christian festivals, always there as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made and as a prompt to contemplation.

One garden, three butterflies

I was delighted to see a lot of butterflies and bees in the walled garden at Scampston. It was warm and sunny so the butterflies were flitting about a bit too much to get good photos.

The top photo is a Red Admiral, the second a Peacock and the bottom one, I think, is a Large White. None of them are rare but butterflies in general are under some threat so it's really good to see them.

Wild things

Most National Trust properties have beautiful gardens, looked after by armies of staff and volunteers. Baddesley Clinton was no exception. It was the wildlife that gave us most delight though: the ducks scooting around in the moat; the swallows feeding their young in their mud and straw nests under the entrance archway and the butterflies in the garden, nourished by the wildflower meadows which the National Trust encourages.

There were at least five babies in the swallows' nest and both parents appeared to be flying in and out with grubs for their hungry brood. It was high up and very dark, so my photo isn't great but we enjoyed watching them. They were completely unfazed by all the visitors walking in and out of the gatehouse, many of whom were oblivious to the life going on overhead. 

The butterfly below, enjoying the warm sunshine, is (I think) a comma. 

Tales of the riverbank

Returning from my walk, I left the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Dowley Gap and cut down Wagon Lane, to join the River Aire. The river meanders through the playing fields belonging to Bradford and Bingley rugby club, and then through an area called Ryeloaf Meadows, a wet woodland managed for conservation by Bradford Council's Countryside Service. It was staked out by 'eco-warriors' at one time, seeking to prevent the building of the Bingley relief road, which now passes through on stilts. Some years later, despite the faint hum of traffic from above, the area seems to me to have recovered well. Growth is lush. In parts, trying to follow the footpath is like trekking through a jungle!

This pretty plant is Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria). It's a plant that I overlooked for years, assuming it was a variety of lady lace, but it is a different genus. It grows profusely in wet places. It's an interesting plant with many traditional uses; it was once used as a strewing herb, thrown on floors in homes and churches to scent them. 

There were quite a few of these brown butterflies too. They had brown velvety upperwings with a few spots underneath. I'm not skilled at butterfly identification but I think it is a Ringlet. 

Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve

Wales - I really enjoyed exploring this nature reserve. We stopped off in various hides around the circular boardwalk, though none of us had any binoculars. I guess you really have to be there early (and have the proper equipment) to spot the most interesting sights. By the time we arrived there were quite a few other folk about but we still saw enough birds and beasts to make it an interesting and enjoyable visit. Horses graze to keep the vegetation down. 

A herd of water buffalo is an unusual sight in this country!

We had only just arrived in the first hide when we saw this fox. I had to be very quick with my camera as it walked quickly into the long grass and then it soon scented us and was off.

 A common Meadow Brown butterfly but it posed quite prettily for me.

View from a hide - though all we saw here was a mute swan.

Orange tip

I don't really have the right lens for close-ups but this little orange-tip butterfly caught my eye. They're a true sign of Spring, and come out at the same time as bluebells, which provide a nectar source. This one is sitting on a garlic mustard plant, on which they lay their eggs - though the butterfly pictured is a male.