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Lisa G Saw • February 19, 2023

Last Light Along The River

We’d enjoyed a lovely late afternoon stroll along the River Ouse on a fairly sunny warm winter’s day. We’d been busy chatting, but all the while keeping an eye open for Short Eared Owls flying about. Sadly, it wasn’t to be today. On the return leg, we were more hopeful to see a Barn Owl. It seemed more likely as the day was drawing to a close and the sun was lowering ever closer towards the hills of the South Downs. Soon it would disappear from sight altogether, taking with it the gorgeous golden glow that illuminated the tops of the tall reeds and bathed the bare wintry trees. It’s such a beautiful time of day. It was so lovely having the opportunity to notice everything around us.

 

We dropped down off the bank onto lower ground and stopped talking, standing still for a while. Our eyes constantly surveyed all around us, ever hopeful Barnie would appear. Occasionally, the binoculars were lifted to see into the distance further, but still it was being elusive.

 

The sounds of human life were a distant hum, but ever present. I saw a bird fly down into the reeds to roost, just in front of me. I noticed the absence of twittering birds as the light was dimming and darkness was descending. Instead, I could hear the wind in my ear when I turned my head slightly. I pulled down my hat some more. The cold was starting to creep in, despite my layers. But the stillness, the calm, the peace, it kept me there for longer, enjoying the moment.

 

High in the sky, the entrails of a plane long gone to some far-off place, were breaking up into puffy fragments, still aglow from the last light – a beautiful soft pink set against an otherwise cloudless darkening blue sky. I like to capture these abstract moments. It’s the simple things that can please so much. It didn’t really bother me that much that we didn’t see the owls. There’d be plenty more opportunities ahead. You can’t be lucky every time. If wildlife watching were easy, the rewards would probably not seem so worthwhile. There was plenty to be happy about. We walked the last stretch of the riverbank holding hands, having enjoyed a wonderful afternoon together. These are the moments to treasure.

Scotch Argus

Cumbria Revisited

By Lisa G Saw • December 4, 2024
Earlier in the year, Bob and I had a wonderful holiday up in Scotland, focusing mostly on the Isle of Mull. I've written several blog posts about this trip, which you can read by clicking on this link . However, at the start and the end of our time up north, we went looking for new butterfly species for me - ones we don't see in the south of England. I'm currently in the process of trying to see all UK butterfly species. During our last few days of that holiday, we were in Cumbria searching for the Large Heath, Northern Brown Argus and the Mountain Ringlet. It was too early for the High Brown Fritillary following the cool damp spring, however, there was a chance of seeing some in early August, albeit potentially very tatty and right at the end of their flight season. We'd already started mulling over the idea of returning to Cumbria at that time of year to see another butterfly species new to me, the Scotch Argus. The opportunity to see both species was too tempting to pass by. So, we returned to Cumbria on 6th August, but this time just for two days. It was all we could fit in to our schedule.

Cumbria Highlights

By Lisa G Saw • November 15, 2024
After our wonderful holiday up in Scotland, which I've written about in my previous posts - the last of which was Other Mull Highliahts - Bob and I headed to Cumbria. It was a great way for us to break up our journey south. We were based in Kendal. We had three full days and three new butterfly species for me to find: Large Heath, Northern Brown Argus and Mountain Ringlet. None of these species can be found in the south and I'm currently on a quest to see all species of Butterfly in the UK (mainland). I knew it was going to be a challenge because once again, the weather really wasn't on our side with mostly rain, wind and overcast conditions. But, after our success in Fort William and seeing my first Chequered Skipper in less than ideal conditions, I was optimistic there was still a chance of success, albeit small. DAY 1 Our focus on the Saturday was the Large Heath butterfly. It's a species that's endangered in the UK because so much of its habitat has been destroyed. They like wet boggy land and Meathop Moss Nature Reserve is a great place to see them. It was less than 30 minutes drive from our hotel. We headed off in really dreary weather wondering how the day ahead would unfold.

Other Mull Highlights

By Lisa G Saw • October 3, 2024
There's so much to see on and around the Isle of Mull and I was so glad that Bob and I had two weeks to make the most of our time there. I've already written about some of the main wonderful experiences we had - Duart Castle , Iona, Lunga and Staffa , and Otterly Fabulous - but, there was so much more I could have shared. Unfortunately though, that would simply take too long. So, in this post I wanted to share some of the other highlights from our trip. WEEK 1 During the first half of our stay we were based in Dervaig. We had several trips in to Tobermory, partly because it was the closest place for us to buy any supplies we needed, but also so we could enjoy sauntering around the pretty harbour. The weather was very changeable the whole holiday, so I was grateful we had at least one sunny morning in the town, when the tide was in. The colourful row of buildings look so bright and cheerful. I don't seem to tire of this view. It makes me smile!
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