WHOOPS! (19/08/09)

Woke up at four o'clock and looked out, half a gale blowing, warm, odd gaps in the cloud cover. Decided to give it another hour before venturing out. Whoops woke at seven, well half six and just caught the forecast, 'rain spreading from the west.' Now there's a surprise!

As I mentioned yesterday, suspected I might end up the right side of a few glasses, as it happened the right side of one small one, failed to recall entertaining a week ago. This necessitated a change of plan. Decided to walk to Haltwhistle, restock with the essential provision and get a bus up to the wall. Took me to the wall alright about seven miles down the road towards Carlisle. Got half the plot right, took me to an abandoned quarry with a pond in it, just not the one I planned visiting. Teach me to be lazy, though Sainsbury have to share the blame, fancy selling Bells for £15.00/litre, had to buy two. The perceived wisdom is you shouldn't take on more than you can carry, whoops again!

DINTLEY HILL QUARRY.....I presume. This is a new conservation project and needs a few more years. Sat for about an hour, eventually rewarded with some Common Blue Damsel Flies, Crane flies, but nothing else. There was one Damsel fly, similar to a Common Blue but it had a vivid green green longitudinal stripe on it's thorax, assuming the thorax is the bit between it's head and it's tail. Otherwise it had a vivid green stripe somewhere else. Molly disturbed it before I could get it in focus. Well that is the third thing over and done with.

TIPULA MAXIMA....Not the best of images and quite possibly not the best of identifications.

SMALL WHITE....Or as usual maybe something else. Whatever poor thing looks as if a bird has had a chew.

PIED WAGTAILS.......Loads of these and it looks as if two broods have been raised, the plumage on the juveniles varies and there are slight but noticeable differences in size. I never fail to smile when I watch the contortions they go through preening.

PAMPERED POOCH......Fancy one of these for Molly, I also fancy a Fireblade so perhaps not.

Just in case you are wondering, no we didn't walk home, fortuitously the next door neighbours turned up and we got a lift. Good job I bought a new bottle! Quite like this style of map, not that clear and needs a higher level of dexterity. These pen tablets have another problem the movement on the pad is multiplied about threefold on the screen. Hope keyhole surgeons have either better skill or equipment.

As usual, all the best.