I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE (07/03/10)

I opened the van door about half an hour after first light and was assailed by the tapping of Woodpeckers. Same old story I knew roughly where they were but, as I’ve come to realize that’s a world away from finding them. This morning I found not one but two. Here they come…………….

      I put a little ring around it ……………Just in case you were to have trouble finding it.

    Likewise here. This is number two you have to admit that this is better than the first. Now all I have to do is find a way of tempting them within range……..No! A shotgun isn’t an acceptable solution.

This passed over an hour, a nuisance in a packed schedule like ours. However, I now know that whilst engaged in beating their brains out against a tree they stay put. Tomorrow a tele-extender and a long lens all bolted down on a tripod.

We arrived back home frozen, starving but cheerful. Even a bad image is better than no image at all.

It being a Sunday I had a fry up for breakfast. I’d just started into the bacon, egg and tomatoes when out of the corner of my eye I caught movement on the feeders. I slid back the window retrieved the camera from under my wellies, don’t ask! I said we were hungry, bingo, back came the Nuthatch.

First a back view.

Then back view with head.

He swapped feeders for the front view.

Then back to the seeds for a side view. A little smasher……I just pray that this is a Nuthatch……Ever had a stone cold fry up? There’s a lot to be said for muesli!

Now we were going to have a wander up to the snow line today but what with one delay after another I decided to postpone this and go for a quick run on the lake ferry.

  Wandering down to the ferry jetty I looked back to see this low cloud filling the valley head. A bit noisy is this because I was still hand holding a telephoto. Just as well because ten minutes later I was treated to an aerial goose display.

   A pair of Canada Geese.

    Next two and a half pairs.

We eventually made it to the Ullswater Steamers jetty, and were given a complementary ticket. This because, just over a year ago, I delivered what will be a new steamer for them and a couple of the chaps recognised me. Last time I saw them was in Maryport……….Can only think that my boat handling made a lasting impression!

The trip around the lake was wasted from a photographic point of view. I spent all the time chatting to the skipper and drinking coffee.

    No matter, it was a bit murky for photographs. Molly had a whale of a time the wheelhouse floor is just about at passenger head height. I lost count of the number of unwary tourists that got a quick lick in the ear whilst passing. Better received by some than others it has to be said.

To finish what has been, totally by chance, a very rewarding day of outs. Tonight on Mollies pre dinner run we saw a couple of Dippers. Things are getting out of hand. Whilst we are ticking boxes, for every one ticked I find two more. We still have yet to see a Red Squirrel, a Red Deer, visit either of the old lead mines, find the Buzzard, the list is endless. That’s without mentioning the damn Woodpeckers. I had (slightly) more success with a certain ferry ticketess who took my fancy. The decision is to have one more day here then move down to Windemere for a week, catch up on e-mails and of course post all this. You insomniacs out there must be suffering by now. Then come back either just before or just after the Easter chaos.

A little corner of Ullswater.

That’s all for today.