Waiting for the sun.....

      I wish the weather would settle down. One day I'm sat on the lawn with a cold beer wearing shorts and T-shirt, the next I'm back in the house togged up in thermal top, buff and tracksters. And why on earth did I have that haircut?

A few seconds rest on Saturday's run round Grimwith  (Click pictures to enlarge)

      This weeks walks and runs were literally under a cloud, the sun peeping out for no more than a few tantalizing seconds to reassure us it was still there. Ashamedly, I'll admit to just one early morning run midweek, the weather being so misty and dire that none of my pictures were worthy of publication.

Upside down Nuthatch

      My camera seems incapable of focusing in thick clag, nor would it produce sharp enough images when pointing it through the kitchen window to capture latest visitors to the bird feeder. Last week a greater spotted woodpecker discovered the nuts, along with a little nuthatch that prefers to feed upside down.

A friendly pheasant strutting by at Grimwith

      Weekend activities centred around and above Grimwith Reservoir. Saturday's 4 mile run was void of birdsong or any forms of life until discovering something rather beautiful we'd never seen there before. Orchids. To be more precise, some Common Twayblade and Northern Marsh varieties.

Common Twayblade beside two Northern Marsh Orchids

      In spite of bearing the name 'common' we'd never seen a Twayblade before or, for that matter, ever even heard of it. We'd probably have missed it on this occasion too had it not been growing just inches away from its Northern Marsh relatives.

Cormorant drying his wings - a long way from the sea

      Birds were back in their territories for our six mile walk on Sunday. Curlew, lapwing, redshank and oystercatchers were calling constantly as we took the steep track north from Grimwith over Appletreewick Moor and up to Sikes Head. Goldfinches were feeding on thistle heads and a cormorant was drying his wings on the bank of a lagoon.

We'd a few followers....

      Grouse chicks ran up the track ahead of us, past the neat iline of shooting butts. A flock of sheep mistook us for shepherds and came running for food. Our two Brunch Bars wouldn't have satisfied that lot.

Wild track over Appletreewick Moor to Grimwith

      We reached our marker post from which we took a compass bearing across to Great Wolfrey Crag. And that, would you believe, is all we'd walked up there to do, in readiness for when my wonderful partner leads a U3A walking group across Wolfrey Moss in a few weeks time.

Lady's Mantle lining the path

      From that point we headed back under threatening skies and strengthening wind to where we'd parked the car. Yachts skimmed across the water. Lady's Mantle, Ragged Robin and little blue Forget-me-nots lined the path and we discovered yet another species of orchid, the Common Spotted Heath, just as we reached the car park.

Common Spotted Heath orchid

 And then it rained - again.  So back to our crosswords, and to watch a video of Andy Triggs Hodge's 8 man crew winning Silver a second behind Germany at the rowing World Cup in Poland.
Hopefully, it will be Gold in Rio.