In the afternoon of my morning stroll around Eaves Wood and Haweswater, I was operating a Dad’s taxi service, dropping A off with our friends who live near Crossthwaite at the head of the Lyth valley. I managed to persuade the boys to join us, so that we could visit Brigsteer Woods on the way home. After a slight navigational error, I opted to take them to the little fell church, St. John’s at Helsington, first. The church is not particularly old and has little to recommend it, except for it’s splendid situation, with open hillside all around and a great view of the Lyth valley (when it isn’t hazy due to an unseasonal heatwave). The churchyard is a pleasant and peaceful spot however,
At Brigsteer Woods, we did almost exactly the same walk as the one we did here twelve months ago. Once again, the principle reason for visiting is the fabulous carpet of wild daffs.
But this year, other flowers were ahead of where they’d been last time. Wood anemones were flowering…
And whereas last year we found just one bluebell with a flower spike which had evidently almost opened, this year lots of the bluebells were in full flower.
There were chiff-chaffs singing in the trees again – another sure-fire indication of the arrival of spring. I even managed to get a photo of one, but from such a great distance that it isn’t much use.
The boys were on great form and charged around playing imaginative games and finding things to climb over, under and all about.
Hopefully, they’ll never feel that they are suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder.
They were very excited when they found large blotches of scarlet elf cup on a mossy fallen tree trunk – probably the same spot where we saw it last year.
I brushed this chap out of my hair…
…is it a crane fly?
I’d originally planned a shorter walk, but got carried away by the boys enthusiasm. Besides which they’d run all the way down to the bottom of the hill (the half-way point) without giving me much chance to make alternative suggestions. The low sun didn’t bode well for the barbecue we had planned however…
Beautiful…I think spring is arriving everywhere ahead of schedule. The cran fly…looks like one although I never see them in the spring…I only see them at the lava stage in the spring but we are over popupated with them in the fall.
Hi Marisa,
That’s why I asked the question really – not something I expect to see in March, I thought?
The setting for that little church looks gorgeous. And not only do I admire your photos of birds, but also your flower pictures…
Be warned, my two are 26 and 29 and Dad’s taxi service is still in operation!
Everything seems well ahead of schedule up here as well. I’ve had small daffs blooming in the garden for a few weeks now.
Never seen scarlet elf cup before. Amazing looking stuff.
I always wondered how you achieved your insect shots…now I understand. You just wait for the little sods to land on you; stun them; take a photo…totally brilliant!
I’ve tried the same thing with the kids, but they don’t appreciate it. I’ve also warned them that as soon as they reach 18, we’re selling the house and moving into something very small. Mind, I also told them that when they’re in their teens I intend to live in the garden shed. I’m not sure if they believe me.
I always envy the great lookimg walks you have on your doorstep. We have loads of great places to visit within an hours drive but the local area around the village is bland in the extreme
Brigsteer Woods is up past Milnthorpe, about 20 minutes drive I suppose. If the proposed changes to the boundaries of the National Park go ahead then it will be within the ‘Lake District’.