Photos A Walk in Nature

Jack Black said:
I can't remember the last time we had a sunny day here, but it was still nice to get out for some fresh air today :thumbsup:

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Nice to see you had an enjoyable walk Jack
Loved the photos !
Your HHB is looking great !!!

I took one as well, virtually though, and followed you around :cool:. ( if you felt like being watched ... it was me LOL )


When I got to the castle I was expecting to find out that it was build many, many centuries ago however I was slightly disappointed to see that it dates back to only 1811😄

Walks in the Leeds and Harrogate Area - Roundhay Park

www.walkingenglishman.com www.walkingenglishman.com

Oh, I also learned that the bird is called a Magpie :). Cool shot :thumbsup:

We are hunkering down today, -21 C now outside 🥶
 
redsparrow said:
Jack Black Jack Black We've had a few sunny days here but it's been way too cold to go out for more than a few minutes, so I'm really appreciative of your beautiful pics, Jack. :thumbsup:
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Thanks James, I hope you can get out soon :) :thumbsup:
Mister Coffee said:
Jack Black Jack Black Great pictures and a kind of funky looking, cool slipjoint, Jack. Nicely done.
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Thanks Mr C :thumbsup:
CelloDan said:
Nice to see you had an enjoyable walk Jack
Loved the photos !
Your HHB is looking great !!!

I took one as well, virtually though, and followed you around :cool:. ( if you felt like being watched ... it was me LOL )


When I got to the castle I was expecting to find out that it was build many, many centuries ago however I was slightly disappointed to see that it dates back to only 1811😄

Walks in the Leeds and Harrogate Area - Roundhay Park

www.walkingenglishman.com www.walkingenglishman.com

Oh, I also learned that the bird is called a Magpie :). Cool shot :thumbsup:

We are hunkering down today, -21 C now outside 🥶
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Thank you very much Dan, I see that you have added 'detective' to your huge range of talents :D It's nice to have had your company my friend :) Yes, there are many old castles near where I live, but that one is just a folly, of which we also have a few :D The park, and the woodland which surrounds it has an interesting history though :thumbsup:

My mate's missus swims in Waterloo Lake each morning - no wetsuit! :eek:
Mister Coffee said:
Typical cello player. They follow people around. Especially the first violinist.
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🤣 :thumbsup:
 
As it was sunny I decided it was time to go watch the Starlings murmaration before it was over for the year,I havent been for a while.

I left lots of time to get there as its a bit of a drive and then a bit of a trek.

Now how could anything possibly go wrong? 🤣

The first part of the journey usually takes about 10 minutes it took 40,when I got to the roundabout a truck had overturned and my road was cordoned off.
There was a lot of traffic all trying to find a route,I remembered a narrow country road and after a few wrong turns/mishaps arrived at the muddy/waterlogged car park.
Which was full 🤬 after a bit of faffing about someone left and I parked up it was so tight I struggled to get out of the car.

By now I was running late everyone was walking past me at twice the speed I was going, it was mud and puddles all the way.
No worries head down and plod on the sun was out and it was great to be out in the clean air.

I had brought my old camera with me but forgot to put the strap back on it from my newer camera,I was using my monopod as a walking stick.
So I cradled my camera in my left arm the same way we carried our SLRs over assault courses or when tabbing at speed and got into the old can do mindset imagining I was 20 again 🤭

When I got to the hide there was a nice big friendly crowd,I sat down on the seat which someone had left muddy footprints on took of my camera bag and dropped my water bottle in the thick mud 😂

I was just in time as the Starlings where gathering,what a display we had,they settled in a different part of the reeds tonight.
The wonder on the face of those new to it was a joy to see,they flew very close (the starlings not the new people,silly) at times,you can hear the wings on one video I did.

The moon was out in a beautiful clear sky it should have been colder but it wasn't, I had wrapped up warm just in case anyway.

A lot left early to avoid the crowd getting out of the car park as its a dead end of a single lane country lane.

I sat back down and had a lovely hot chocolate which I had bought yesterday, then a nice lady and her daughter started chatting to me and gave me the location of a regularly seen Kingfisher.

They left as I did and they shot off,I was the last man standing its a bit spooky down there at night with a lot of animal/bird activity things rustling and a bit desolate.

But what a walk back the moon seemed even brighter as it got darker.
I had good night vision and didn't need a torch,the path is pretty straight I just went along in a line through the puddles taking in the atmosphere and being glad to be there.

I got back a lot later than expected threw my muddy clothes in the wash machine and washed my camera bag over the bath.

Followed by a cup of tea and a quick eggs and bacon,all in all a good day. 😍



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Johnnythefox Johnnythefox Who has time for all these walks? I've decided that you are a 26-year-old Silicon Valley billionaire who sold his tech business for a pretty penny, and now is a cat of considerable fatness. I can only envy you, grudgingly, from afar.

By the way, we can no longer be friends because I had to look up the word "murmaration" (and I still don't understand it).
 
Mister Coffee said:
Johnnythefox Johnnythefox Who has time for all these walks? I've decided that you are a 26-year-old Silicon Valley billionaire who sold his tech business for a pretty penny, and now is a cat of considerable fatness. I can only envy you, grudgingly, from afar.

By the way, we can no longer be friends because I had to look up the word "murmaration" (and I still don't understand it).
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More than twice that age and on a low war pension awarded early due to my health caused by my service,the only thing I have is time. 😊
I never took a job to make me rich,though I did the lotto for years hoping to be 😁

Murmaration is much like when you see a School of fish in perfect harmony.

its an amazing sight.



 
Mister Coffee said:
By the way, we can no longer be friends because I had to look up the word "murmaration" (and I still don't understand it).
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Johnnythefox said:
Murmaration is much like when you see a School of fish in perfect harmony.
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It's all part of Mr Fox 🦊 clever schemes to throws us off his scent.:D

In a brilliant move he substituted the "u" in "murmuration" for an "a" ( "murmaration" ) leaving us all confounded and lost. 😁:cool::)
 
Johnnythefox said:
Murmaration is much like when you see a School of fish in perfect harmony.

its an amazing sight.
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I seem to only ever see this phenomenon when I am driving, and can’t stop to get a good look. I never new there was an official term for it either. We do have starlings here (invasive species brought by you Brits…), but I think the flocks I have seen were cowbirds.
 
Johnnythefox said:
I woke up to a sunny mild day perfect to photograph the Red Kites,or so I thought.

I had worked out a nice little new route to my favourite seat on a hill,where I am guaranteed to see them.

So of I went in my car 20 mins later the sun went in,when I arrived everyone and their brother was at the car park and on the road, (way to busy for me) even if I had found a parking spot.


Plan B of down the road to another place I like,now it goes overcast and dark.

On the way to a seat I know it rains a little,so stop to eat my sunday lunch sarny and have a coffee.

Wheres my big cup? I forgot to pack it so try to make the coffee in the flask.

Its frothy cappuccino which explodes back over the top,I then drop my spoon in the flask trying to push the coffee in.

I think you realise what kind of day its turning into 🤣


I Stir the coffee with my SAK farmer in the small flask cup as I cant get the spoon out.

The chunky peanut Kitkat was a winner must get more.

Put my rucksack back on walk 10 paces its starts to rain hard and extreme wind.

Have to stop and put my camera away so it isn't damaged,walk 5 paces lots of kites appear just to rub it in.😁


The few people near me disappear but I was never going to not finish my little walk and go back.

I carry on battling against the wind,glad I had bought more layers than I thought I might need,It know felt cold.

The lightweight cashmere jumper is the best bit of kit I have bought in ages and warms my torso.

The steep slope on the last part back to the car park is as always the hardest.

The ground has become muddy in places and very slippery,the brush keeps catching on my walking stick/pole,the wind drives the rain onto the back of my trousers which get very soggy and rub.

It takes me ages to get up and over.

But you know what I loved every minute of it,if its easy its not half as much fun.

I cant help reflect though 40 years ago I would have run around the same distance in a 10th of the time. 😆

























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I had a great email yesterday,so nice in these times to have a positive can do friendly response.
I must resist asking her to install a Coffee and Kitkit vending machine. 😁

Myself and a colleague have looked at the base of Bald Hill today, and agree we could put in some large sections of timber for seating – probably multiple pieces of timber to provide multiple sitting areas. We will clear some of the scrub back this winter along the bottom path, and then once the ground conditions are drier, we can get in with a truck and trailer to install sections of timber.
I hope this sounds ok – although it won’t be an immediate installation, as soon as the ground is dry enough to allow, we can crack on with this.

Thanks again for raising this – always useful to have feedback from visitors to the site – my contact details are below, so do feel free to get in touch if you need anything further.
 
Johnnythefox said:
I had a great email yesterday,so nice in these times to have a positive can do friendly response.
I must resist asking her to install a Coffee and Kitkit vending machine. 😁

Myself and a colleague have looked at the base of Bald Hill today, and agree we could put in some large sections of timber for seating – probably multiple pieces of timber to provide multiple sitting areas. We will clear some of the scrub back this winter along the bottom path, and then once the ground conditions are drier, we can get in with a truck and trailer to install sections of timber.
I hope this sounds ok – although it won’t be an immediate installation, as soon as the ground is dry enough to allow, we can crack on with this.

Thanks again for raising this – always useful to have feedback from visitors to the site – my contact details are below, so do feel free to get in touch if you need anything further.
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That's great to hear Johnny !!!

So nice that they considered your suggestions and wrote you back so quickly , especially in these times like you said.

Looks like a lot more seating areas will be installed by the spring by the sounds of it :thumbsup::cool:

Looking forward to pics from the base of Bald Hill in the spring :)

PS: I do not mind writing them as well regarding the KitKat machine 😄
 
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