If you search my site you will come across a few posts for “My Patch”. This is the one I’ve mentioned before just behind my house. It used to be farm land and much of it was sold off and was turned into a golf course but these two fields remain. This filed is full of buttercups, clover and various grasses. There is a spring that bubbles from the ground on occasions, creating a very small stream, but it has dried up considerably from when we first arrived here in the 80’s. There is a wet area which becomes a pond when theres plenty of rain and many rabbit burrows. I’ve spied roe deer and foxes here. There are many varieties of birds and it is awash with birdsong. My favourites are the magnificent red kites which are regulars over the fields and my house.
Author: helengibsondavies
A BIT OF A CHANGE!
As you can see I’ve changed the name of this blog to rambling excursions.org This I feel reflects more of its content ……or not as the case may be.
Rambling as in walking or wandering and in “rambling on” ………..talking, discussing expressing thoughts and ideas.
Excursions as in journeys, whether it be walks, bike rides, holidays etc, including wildlife or the journey we are all on that is “life.”
2015
well here I am and it’s May 2015! I’m sitting in the sun on my patch with my new dog Tetley. Sparky died in October aged 16. We acquired Tetley a lurcher from Leeds Dogs Trust at approx 14 weeks old.
Mum also left us on 3rd Jan this year 4 days before her 92nd birthday.
My daughter Alison left home a couple of months ago and I left teaching in Feb 2014. I still keep my hand in though by running after school clubs….more of that later
Wildlife on a motorbike
I eventually made a decision and bought a new bike. Its a Suzuki Intruder M800 and its my little Black Beauty!
Ok so its not so little, but it’s surprisingly easy to handle and i can get both feet on the ground which is a big plus for me! It is now adorned with a screen – the wind drag is awful without one – and some lovely leather saddlebags. Now all I need is some sunshine, but fat chance of that at the moment. I was out on Saturday and got absolutely drenched to the skin!
Anyway back to the title of this post – Wildlife on a bike”……………………. Well I see a lot of wildlife “on” bikes, but the more attractive kind is not riding a bike! I rode from LS16 through Otley and up over Asquith Moor recently, stopped to have a scan with the binoculars and was rewarded with curlews and lapwings.
These are the best photos I have of lapwings- they are not very well focused and I haven’t any of curlews.
Curlews have a really weird call like a sort of constant “peewit” when they are flying. The are fabulous acrobats and look like a huge butterfly dipping and swirling in flight.
Here are some views over the moors.
I’m a Londoner and am proud to have been born there but Yorkshire is definitely gods own county and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else – thanks for adopting me Yorkshire.
Hampsthwaite Circular
This is a short walk I did with a friend and the again with my husband and dog back in March this year, when the weather was actually nice!!!
Start from the village of Hampsthwaite just outside Harrogate and start off with a cup of tea/coffee and something nice to go with it at Sophie’s village cafe – also a BB. You can sit outside and watch the world go by or there’s a garden around the back.
http://www.sophiesbedandbreakfast.co.uk/
Make your way from the cafe to the left of the village green for a short walk along the road towards Birstwith. You will walk past a path on your right leading to the village church which we will visit on the way back. Further on up the road you will pass a layby then you will spot a barn on your right and a footpath sign. Cross over the field and walk by the side of the river – this is the Nidderdale way. Everything is quite straightforward then. You eventually walk by the side of a food factory and cross over the road at Birstwith. We the made our way onwards past a weir and some open land….
Alongside the river again and you will reach an old pack horse bridge. You can cut your journey short here by crossing over the bridge walking up the hill, turning right and follow Nidderdale way back on the other side of the river.
We continued on alongside the River Nidd on our right until we had to climb over a wall and walk to our right along a little toll road past an old railway cottage and a little further on we crossed over the field just beyond the cottage and joined an old dismantled railway line.
There’s a field on the right where there were some gorgeous horses. At the top of the hill turn right down hill towards a small copse of trees. You will pass through a farm yard which isn’t a farm any more but stables. After this you will bear right past a small cl caravan site down to the river again. Follow the river until you get back to Birswith and get back on the road. Turn left to go to the pub which is well worth a visit for the beer and the food. Had been recently refurbished when we went. We had a nice lunch. At the Station Hotel.
Thats it really just follow your steps back past the food factory and return to Hampsthwaite. However take that path that I mentioned earlier to have a look at the church and graveyard its very interesting.
And back to the village green.
Why the English talk about the weather so much!
Our weather is being even more weird than usual! Think there’s quite a few places around the world having the same experience, but it’s no wonder the English talk about the weather so much. I mean its a starter of conversation with everyone isn’t it? Where else in the world can you get floods and a hose pipe ban within a hundred miles of each other? And the Englishman with an umbrella – that incidentally was invented in India where they have monsoons – its true isn’t it? You can never be sure from one day or one hour to the next when the next shower will arrive.
The weather has such an impact on our live; what we do, how we feel…………. There are many people who are effected by Seasonal Deficit Disorder – SAD- a very appropriate name for the melancholy condition felt through lack of UV rays. Even if you don’t there is absolutely no doubt that we all feel better in the sunshine. Our weather here has been wet, windy and miserable for months with the very odd sun break. And what about the affect on wildlife? The birds that migrate here for the summer must think they’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere. But there’s still plenty of juveniles around, fluttering their wings and asking their parents to still feed them and some young ones trying to puzzle out how to use the feeders – it doesn’t take them long.
The Leeds Waterfront Festival was on Saturday – normally a lovely sunny occasion- was beset by wind and rain. It didn’t stop people enjoying themselves though. The Dragon Boat racing still took place and there were still many stalls selling their wares, much beer and food and UMBRELLAS!!
Completely off topic!
I love riding my motorbike and although this seems completely off topic it isn’t really because there is a link! O yes, there is because I often use my bike to get out into the countryside to see nature. It is much better than the car – you are actually nearer to nature more immersed in the elements! Ok so we prefer not the have the rain obscuring the view as we don’t have the luxury of windscreen wipers and snow can cause a little skidding but on a sunny clear day there is nothing to touch it. Only problem with the gorgeous sun drenched ride is the sweat running down your back and forehead as we have to wear protective clothing and helmets!!!! Despite all of this I can’t think of anything that makes me feel as free as a ride on my bike (except perhaps a sun-soaked beach somewhere like Mauritius or Madagascar .
I love the feeling of being in charge of my own destiny, the feeling of beating the odds, of me against the world who are trying to knock me down!! LOL!
I adore the feeling of leaning into a bend, hips at a jaunty angle, knee slightly down – I have no need for speed – it is far far better, in my humble opinion to round a corner at 40mph, feeling every nuance of the camber, savouring every second. The speciality for me is a double “S” bend one way then the other, with a full throttle pull out onto a nice straight stretch and up to 60/70mph, bring a wide grin right across my face. Any faster and its gone, over, no time to savour.
I love the burble of the pipes and the rumble of the engine under my bum!! A nice throaty burble, not an ear splitting roar like a Harley or a wild whine of a sports bike with no soul, but a gentle soft calming burble!
I actually fall in love with my bike every time I ride it. I love cars too and have a lovely little mini cooper clubman but it hasn’t got soul like my bike has.
I took a Triumph Bonneville out today. At first I thought wayhayyy I found the bike of my dreams. Beautiful to look at, easy to ride. Gears nice and smooth, good breaking, easy to manoeuvre – although can’t be that easy because I dropped the sodding thing! O yes, welcome to Helen’s world of slow manoeuvre accidents. I have fallen off my bike once whilst on the move going round a corner and hitting diesel on the road and I have fallen of my bike several time whilst at standstill! That’s my speciality!! Because the trouble with the Bonnie is that being a short arse of 5ft 3inches I can only just get the ball of my foot on the ground!! Add in a sloping car park and a turn and that is it!!!! Bugger, and it’s a demo bike! Scratched mirror, slightly scuffed engine casing, exhaust pipe and clutch lever! Shit its into hundreds. Then I couldn’t pick the damn thing up, so had to seek assistance! Apart from the embarrassment of making a total tit of myself, it sort of put a damper on the ride back.
Back on my bike home – after negotiations at dealer – feet flat on the floor at traffic lights, I felt at home. I’ve had this bike three years so am bound to feel easy on it aren’t I? Decisions Decisions!
OR
Adel Dam
Went for a walk around Adel Dam nature reserve recently. A small reserve maintained by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
http://www.ywt.org.uk/reserves/adel-dam-nature-reserve
Haven’t been for a while even though it’s just down the road. It was fairly quiet to be honest and there’s probably more bird life at the park next to it. Saw Jays and Mandarin Ducks along with Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Got some great photos recently.
Heron and Little Egret Stand-Off!
Whilst at Manton Bay (Rutland Water), we watched a Grey Heron move a Little Egret out of its territory. have a look at the photo sequence of events. 
“I’m just not even gonna look at you!”
I“If I flap my wings about a bit maybe he’ll get the idea!”
“Ok, ok, I’m going!”
“This’ll do at least they look a bit more friendly!”
“Ooooo, heck, obviously not far enough! I’m off!”
“Finally ! He gets the idea!”
Rutland Ospreys.
A few weeks ago I had the chance to go down to Rutland Water with a friend to see the Ospreys that had returned to breed in Manton Bay. Click on the link if you’d like to learn more.
There’s a road bridge at the Manton Bay end which gives you an even better view of the osprey nest than the hide in the nature reserve does. This is where we stopped as we didn’t have many hours to spare.
We were lucky we saw what we think was two females and a male. There was a female in the nest and one in the trees nearby. The male “seemed” to be having his way with both females. Here is a video of him mating with the female in the tree – you will only know this because I’m telling you, as it is taken from a long way away.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PtLdPzDhjA]
Did you spot them??
This next video shows the male in flight, eventually landing in the tree near to the female. Be patient as it takes me a while to find the osprey in the sky!! LOL.
It was a thrill to witness this! (How sad am I?)