Back to the Batts

It was a lovely afternoon and with nothing better to do, I took a walk down to Colburn Batts.

Walking along the old railway line from "The Station" in Richmond you can see through the trees on your left over to St Agatha's House and Easby Abbey.  Doesn't it look so typical of English countryside?

Turning right off the railway line to follow the coast to coast you walk through Iron Banks wood.  Today it was carpeted in wood anemone's, with a sprinkling of primroses and bluebells.  Lovely.

Following the river until you get to the Batts.

I spent an hour at The Batts watching the goings on.  This pair of greylags were best of friends with the canada geese.  As a foursome they seemed to go everywhere together.

And this gentleman was absolutely full of temper and testosterone.  He hissed at everything in his vicinity, including me. He preened and flounced and was full of bravado and display the whole time I was there.  His lady friend was having a nap and didn't take a lot of notice. (She did wake up eventually).

I'm dead pleased with this picture.  Somehow I managed to get a nearly clear photograph of the great crested grebe with my little compact.  I've seen two pairs and a lonesome one today.

Today's count was one pair of goosanders, one heron, I don't know how many swans, tufted ducks and coots, about a hundred black headed gullss, one pair of canada geese and quite a few greylag geese.  And of course the great crested grebes.   

This guy (or mebbe its a gal?), was making quite a lot of noise as I went by the farm at Colburn Hall on the way home.  Handsome animal tho'. I also managed to see a pair of male goosanders swimming upriver on my way back.  That sort of surprised me. I don't know if there are more of the birds on the river this year, or if I've just not seen them before

And finally, although I don't know what type of tree this is, I thought these were quite lovely.

6 1/2 miles in the sunshine and my left foot is just about fully recovered.  Wonderful.