The Tranquility of the Southern Lakes

 

Duddon Iron Furnace

Having enjoyed our trip to the south lakes last month, we decided to return to Moss Side Farm in order to explore the area a little more. A few miles from the farm stands this magnificent 18^th century charcoal blast furnace from the days when iron ore was mined in the area. The motive power was a huge water wheel, sadly no longer in existence, the mill stream now almost dry and hosting a variety of wild plants including Lesser Burdock which I hadn't come across before. The carder bees were absolutely loving it. It's edible for us too, in its first year. The roots can be boiled, but you have to change the water after the first boil. Young stems can be eaten too, raw or cooked. Foraging is a useful hobby with the cost of living as it is at the moment. See Steve's Wild Kitchen for ideas and recipes.

Duddon Estuary

Last time out we went kayaking on the river Duddon. This time we decided to visit the Duddon estuary on foot, starting at Foxfield and working our way down to Askam-in-Furness (both of which are accessible by rail). A Little Egret flew overhead as the train crossed the bridge. I was used to seeing these birds in Crete, but as the climate warms, they have now migrated northwards and are resident in the UK. The banks of the estuary make perfect nest sites for Sand Martins, so let's stand and watch them for a bit as they bring food back to the nests. This must be their second brood as they generally have their first brood in May. I would think that this is quite far north for them to have two broods a year. Possibly the warming climate again.

Elter Water

After all that trekking about, a rest on the banks of Elter Water seems in order. This is one of the smaller bodies of water in the Lake District, lying between Coniston and Grasmere, and as navigation is prohibited, we can't get the kayak out onto it. However, it's a lovely day for just lazing about, admiring the scenery and watching the insects going about their business. More Carder Bees, this time pollinating the Knapweed; some Carpet Moths resting up in the long grass; and Blue Damselflies busy making more Blue Damselflies. Summer has arrived in Cumbria at last. Elter Water, incidentally, means Swan Lake, and Whooper swans regularly overwinter here.

Moss Side Farm

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (to use a phrase that originated as a stock subtitle in the days of the silent movies), we have an evening visitor in the form of a Goldcrest. Along with the Firecrest, this is Britain's smallest bird. Their thin beaks allow them to pluck insects from between pine needles and cones as this one is doing here. Down in the meadow below, the Barn Swallows are taking insects from the air. Something small, lithe and black has just scooted across the field and up over the dry stone wall. I think it was a Mink, but whether a native European or an American Mink, I wouldn't like to say. The American Mink was brought over in 1929 for the fur industry, but due to the misguided release of thousands of them by animal rights activists they have now run riot, much to the detriment of their European cousins and also water voles.

Hawkshead

Time to wend our way home again, but how about a stop for Sunday lunch in the pretty little village of Hawkshead? But first, Mattie needs a walk, and there's a pleasant circular route that will take us up into the fields and woods. It also passes through the churchyard of St Michael & All Angels, where William Wordsworth used to like to sit when he went to scool here. Unusually for a churchyard, there are information boards placed about with information regarding the windflowers to be found here. The delightfully named Fox and Cubs are showing well at present. Alternative names are Devil's Paintbrush (a tad inappropriate) and Grim-the-collier. The plant has a pelt of black hairs, reminiscent of the swarthy stubble of Grim the Collier of Croyden, a folklore villain and the title character of a 17^th century play.

Thus ends another trip to the southern shores of Cumbria, but I doubt that it will be our last. Enjoy the summer weather, it's almost like being back in Crete again!

Steve's History of Things

In Association With

Steve's Vintage Collectables

Steve's History of Things 1 Introduction		Steve's History of Things 2 5 Good Reasons to Buy EPNS
Steve's History of Things 3 Fielding's Musical Tankards		Steves Hstory of Things 4 Jasperware
Steve's History of Things 5 Blood Pressure Monitors

All the best,

Steve

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Beetles and Butterflies; spiders and scorpions; woodlice and worms. How do you tell them all apart? To say nothing of crane flies, dragonflies, bee flies and yet more butterflies. Are they all flies? If not, why call them so? If you're fascinated but confused by the beautiful world of the very small, then this is the book for you. 82 pages of information on all aspects of the world of minibeasts, with over 100 photographs and illustrations, this book will help you track down and identify any arthropod, in its adult or juvenile state, anywhere in the world. UK Price only £14.99 See all of my books at author.to/SteveDaniels

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Steve Daniels Cumbria

Quiet Kayaking in the South Lakes

 

Living up in the north of Cumbria, we rarely get down to the south of the county. For a start, it's an hour or twos drive, and there's so much to see and do up here that we tend to overlook the southern half. So, pack up your tent and we'll go and spend a few days down there. We'll be staying at Moss Side Farm, which is an idyllic spot with a bit of a Beatrix Potter feel to it, what with ducklings, chickens and goats wandering about all over the place. We also have what appear to be a number of caterpillars falling onto the tent. This is because we've pitched up under a White Poplar Tree (Populus alba). These larvae though, don't belong to any butterfly or moth. They are the larvae of the Hairy Poplar Sawfly (Cladius grandis) and sawflies are hymenopterans, the same as ants, bees and wasps.

Day 2 and we're off to do a bit of quiet kayaking on the river Duddon, then we'll nip down to Ulverston and see if the canal is navigable. There is something inordinately peaceful about kayaking on a quiet river, amidst the dragonflies and ducks, with the occasional kingfisher darting along beside you. The same can be said of canals, but this one is totally choked with Fringed Waterlilies. The Moorhens can walk from one side to the other. No matter, there is a lovely canalside walk (wheelchair accessable) that runs the 1¼ miles (2km) from the town down to Morecambe Bay, and there are Herons and Mute Swans with cygnets to be seen. There should also be plenty of insects about, but unfortunately there are not. Flying insects have declined by 60% in the UK since the beginning of the 21^st century and it shows. A few butterflies about, but other than that, just three Mirid Bugs and an Ichneumon Wasp feeding on the thistles, and a handful of Blue-tailed Damselflies. It really is a very worrying state of affairs.

The canal terminates where the river Leven empties into Morecambe Bay and, apart from some more Mute Swans, we have a lonely Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) down here. These are part of the Charadriidae family which includes Plovers and Dotterels. 'Plover's Eggs', which used to be a delicacy in the first half of the 20^th century, included Lapwing eggs. It is now illegal to harvest their eggs throughout Europe as the species is on the UCN Red List.

Day 3 and a bit more kayaking, this time on Coniston. But first, we'll have a wander round the pretty little lakeside town of the same name and go and visit the graveyard. This is the grave of Donald Campbell, the only person to break both the world land and water speed records in the same year (1964). He was killed on Coniston Water in 1967, whilst attempting to set a new water speed record. We will not be attempting anything like that in our inflatable kayak, merely paddling along at duck speed. It's also a chance to give Mattie her first outing on the lakes. She lives a very adventurous life!

All too soon, this short break has come to an end and we must strike camp and set off for home. There is still time for one last stop, and Ishbel has suggested visiting Seascale on the way home. I've never been to this seaside village before and I am quite blown away by it. It must be one of England's most overlooked resorts. A couple of miles of golden sands, a manicured lawn and children's play area, an ice cream parlour: it reminds me of the seaside of my childhood back in the 1960s. The beach is littered with sea potatoes which are actually the tests (skeletons) of the Common Heart Urchin (Echinocardium cordatum). At the end of the beach there's a cute little nuclear reprocessing and waste storage plant called Sellafield and on the way back we can look for adders; Seascale is famous for them. No adders today but we have some soldier beetles (mating as usual, do they ever do anything else?) some Skippers and a Gatekeeper butterfly. And there's Sea Holly and Bloody Crane's Bill and loads of other stuff to see at the back of the beach. It really is a wonderful place. I can't think why more people don't come here. So what if the seaweed glows in the dark? (Only kidding).

Ah well, time to go home. It's been a fantastic little trip down south.

All the best,

Steve

I've recently started a new set of blogs called 'Steve's History of Things'. So if you're interested in history as well as natural history, take a look.

Steve's History of Things 1 – Introduction Steve's History of Things 2 – 5 Good Reasons to Buy EPNS Steve's History of Things 3 – Fielding's Musical Tankards

Beetles and Butterflies; spiders and scorpions; woodlice and worms. How do you tell them all apart? To say nothing of crane flies, dragonflies, bee flies and yet more butterflies. Are they all flies? If not, why call them so? If you're fascinated but confused by the beautiful world of the very small, then this is the book for you. 82 pages of information on all aspects of the world of minibeasts, with over 100 photographs and illustrations, this book will help you track down and identify any arthropod, in its adult or juvenile state, anywhere in the world. See all of my books at author.to/SteveDaniels

Follow me on Steve's Nature Plus

and also on

Steve's Nature

Steve Daniels Naturalists 

Steve Daniels Cumbria