Ok so, I
have been away in North Norfolk for 2 weeks with no Internet which means that I
was unable to blog my trip there and it means 2 weeks have passed without a
visit to Belvedere fields.
I was
back in Wigan for 1 day before heading back to the east coast, this time
slightly more north to a place called Grosemont, 8 miles from the gothic town
of Whitby.
It is
from Grosmont that I write this, however I still have no Internet connection so
I can only put this on the blog when I return in 4 days. At least you will have
something to read while I go and check the goings on over Belvedere.
We
arrived at Grosmont yesterday afternoon, I am staying 5 days in a beautiful
stone cottage overlooking the town and tranquil rolling hills of North
Yorkshire. I spent the remainder of the day strolling around the gardens and
immediate vicinity to see the wildlife and to get my bearings.
The front
garden was full of butterfly's, a few Peacock butterfly's were present on a
budleah bush in a quiet corner, hoverflys and bee's were in abundance as we're
Garden Spiders. Swallows seem to be flying with a purpose, no doubt starting to
head south to warmer winter climates.
The night
seems to be alive with life, the hooting of distant Tawny owls echo through
from the trees at the far end of the field behind our abode. Many insects
appear in the darker hours of the day, I have some photos of a few including
spiders, weevils and pill millipedes.
A visit
to the beach east of Whitby proved interesting. Among the search of ammonites
in the rock, much wildlife was easily discovered. The nasal panting of fulmars
high on the cliff was present throughout with the occasional sighting as they
swooped off the cliff, beating their stiff wings.
In
amongst the rock pools lay shoals of small fish including a rather large Plaice
that had been caught out by the outgoing tide. It was trapped beneath a large
rock in a narrow gully, only just deep enough to keep its head under the quickly
draining water. We moved the fish into deeper water which would not drain away.
The
strain of carrying my rucksack, laden with cameras, lenses and binoculars,
pretty much everyday for the last 2 and a half weeks is starting to take its
toll on my neck and back, they feel extremely tight and sore.
Now, I'm
back in Wigan, the weather is terrible, Autumn is making its presence known to
us here. If the weather clears this week I will take a trip over the fields, at
the moment I'm going to concentrate on doing some wildlife illustrations, I'll
put them on here in the next few days if they are finished.
