25 October 2010
Heavy frost
Overnight a hard frost has drawn wonderful fern leaves on the car and crisped the grass to underfoot crunchiness. The main road has been gritted but the back road was slightly slippery underfoot this morning. Overnight temperature 1.3°C.
24 October 2010
Hard rain
Otherwise known as hail and thrown with some force along with great buckets of water. The stomy conditions woke us up a couple of times over night and this morning it's been coming in squalls.
Shivering penguins - snow in October!
We awoke to a dusting of snow this morning and the big yellow snow dragon (otherwise known as a gritter) has been spotted but not before several vehicles were seen slithering down the top road, a few slightly sideways.
So - for the first time this year the Pig has been lit. As it's the first burn of the season a very hot burn is required to retemper the hotbox and now the house is perfumed with the unmistakeable aroma of hot pig (scorched dust and glowing, expanding iron).
Green and white border
16 October
At last the hostas arrived and I can get the new green and white border planted up. I was worried that the soil would be sodden but it was mostly OK and in good heart after all the compost and feed that's been worked in over the summer. The original plants (those which we decided to keep anyway) have been replanted, lots of bulbs added and the new hostas plus a few ferns along with a honeysuckle, a big grass and a lonicera purpera have all gone in. Just the roses now and a couple of hostas on back order and it will be done. I'm sure there will be a few casualties and few gaps to be filled next year but at the moment it's looking good, full of promise.
At last the hostas arrived and I can get the new green and white border planted up. I was worried that the soil would be sodden but it was mostly OK and in good heart after all the compost and feed that's been worked in over the summer. The original plants (those which we decided to keep anyway) have been replanted, lots of bulbs added and the new hostas plus a few ferns along with a honeysuckle, a big grass and a lonicera purpera have all gone in. Just the roses now and a couple of hostas on back order and it will be done. I'm sure there will be a few casualties and few gaps to be filled next year but at the moment it's looking good, full of promise.
Whooper Swans
2 October.
Going out with the girls this morning and hear an odd clacking in the sky, definitely not the gabbleratchet of geese. I look up and there are a couple of swans, a few paces on I hear it again from behind the first swans and then there is a small flight of swans, maybe a dozen in total, all heading south. When I got home I got the books out and from the size and shape they must have been Whoopers, I've seen mutes in flight before but this is the first time for whoopers.
Going out with the girls this morning and hear an odd clacking in the sky, definitely not the gabbleratchet of geese. I look up and there are a couple of swans, a few paces on I hear it again from behind the first swans and then there is a small flight of swans, maybe a dozen in total, all heading south. When I got home I got the books out and from the size and shape they must have been Whoopers, I've seen mutes in flight before but this is the first time for whoopers.
Wet, wet, wet, dry, wet
Was the weather Monday 27 September to 1 October. Added to which it was windy too.
The garden was awash, and the plants were nearly horizontal, we ran out of dry dog towels and the kitchen floor resembled a muddy puddle. In fact it rained so much there was a landslip on the Scar behind / above the station which collapsed downwards and was only halted in it's progress by the wall and gate.
The garden was awash, and the plants were nearly horizontal, we ran out of dry dog towels and the kitchen floor resembled a muddy puddle. In fact it rained so much there was a landslip on the Scar behind / above the station which collapsed downwards and was only halted in it's progress by the wall and gate.
Martins
I was wrong - today (30 September) there was initially a solitary house martin circling above the horse chestnuts at the back and then later on in the day a small group. They've not been seen since they must have been the very last stragglers.
Nuthatches are back
23 September.
The nuthatch arrived back at the feeders today, I wonder where it's been over the summer. A couple of tree sparrows have been around too. We've not seen any martins or swallows for a few days, I think the recent blustery weather has finally sent them on their southward journey.
The nuthatch arrived back at the feeders today, I wonder where it's been over the summer. A couple of tree sparrows have been around too. We've not seen any martins or swallows for a few days, I think the recent blustery weather has finally sent them on their southward journey.
First Goathland Geese
20 September
Reports of the sighting of the first skeins of geese, probably pinkies, flying south - maybe to join the huge flocks at WWT.
Reports of the sighting of the first skeins of geese, probably pinkies, flying south - maybe to join the huge flocks at WWT.
Autumn has arrived I think
We've actually turned the heating on these last couple of days, it has turned decidedly autumnal, which as it's mid-September is only to be expected I suppose, there are still a few martins and swallows around but WWT reported the first large landings of Pink-foot geese this week so the year is definitely on the turn. (370 arrived on 15th at Martin Mere, http://bit.ly/19jiiN)
Moulting birds
3 September
The sun is out again today, it's a lovely day and the garden is full of birds. The nuthatch has been back a few times but Mrs Blackbird is looking rather bedraggled at the end of a full moult. Last week a very large family of long-tailed tits flew through as well. However, earlier in the week it was incredibly windy and many of the plants, especially the climbers have been battered and are looking very sorry for themselves.
The sun is out again today, it's a lovely day and the garden is full of birds. The nuthatch has been back a few times but Mrs Blackbird is looking rather bedraggled at the end of a full moult. Last week a very large family of long-tailed tits flew through as well. However, earlier in the week it was incredibly windy and many of the plants, especially the climbers have been battered and are looking very sorry for themselves.
Swifts
End of August.
The swifts have been noticeable by their absence for several days so they have already left for warmer climes - not surprising really as it's not eaxctly been a scorching summer - for which some of us are truely grateful!
The swifts have been noticeable by their absence for several days so they have already left for warmer climes - not surprising really as it's not eaxctly been a scorching summer - for which some of us are truely grateful!
Woodpecker
Wednesday 25 August.
Today there was a young greater spotted woodpecker on the middle pole of the colonade looking just like a cartoon of itself as it pecked the pole and hopped all the way up until it was sitting on the top with such a look of astonishment - what happened to the rest of the tree then? Where did it go? Did you great tits steal it? And off it flew.
It returned a few days later and helped itself (rather violently) to some of the nuts in the feeder making it sway rather wildly - maybe it made itself seasick (did you know goldfish can be seasick?, just a useless piece of information for you there) because after flying off with a beak full of nuts it has not been seen again.
Today there was a young greater spotted woodpecker on the middle pole of the colonade looking just like a cartoon of itself as it pecked the pole and hopped all the way up until it was sitting on the top with such a look of astonishment - what happened to the rest of the tree then? Where did it go? Did you great tits steal it? And off it flew.
It returned a few days later and helped itself (rather violently) to some of the nuts in the feeder making it sway rather wildly - maybe it made itself seasick (did you know goldfish can be seasick?, just a useless piece of information for you there) because after flying off with a beak full of nuts it has not been seen again.
Dragonfly
21 August - Goathland Flower and Veg show.
I'm puppy minding and busy baking bread when in through the open kitchen window comes a buzz of wings attached to a rather large and very beautiful green dragonfly. A couple of circuits of the kitchen and out it goes. We've not seen the green one again but have had a couple of bright blues one around the garden.
I'm puppy minding and busy baking bread when in through the open kitchen window comes a buzz of wings attached to a rather large and very beautiful green dragonfly. A couple of circuits of the kitchen and out it goes. We've not seen the green one again but have had a couple of bright blues one around the garden.
Catch up
OK a small flurry of posts to come in a vain attempt to catch up on the last three month! How did that happen??
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