SPRING AT COTTERDALE: THE EXTRAS

   During the week I captured a few images that included more than one species at a time indulging in some different behaviour. The picture above shows one of the Red Squirrels that visited the garden feeding from the wall where I had placed some mixed squirrel food sitting next to a male Pheasant who was interested in some of the smaller seeds and nuts. It was interesting to see that the Pheasant although much bigger than the squirrel was not the dominant species in this encounter and he only got to feed once the squirrel had eaten his fill and departed.
   Below is an encounter observed up on the moors when a Golden Plover and a Lapwing had a territorial dispute and engaged in some fighting. It may have been that one or both of the birds had a nest or chicks in the area and so were defending them but the action went on for a long while with the Golden Plover although being smaller not giving up and repeatedly returning to hassle the Lapwing.

   Finally back in the garden and towards the end of the week a rat had found out that I was placing some tasty squirrel food on one of the walls. Also interested in the food was a Greater Spotted Woodpecker who would regularly come down to take a piece and on this occasion the rat was already feasting on the wall. The Woodpecker immediately fanned itself out and drove the rat away which was quite surprising and illustrated how aggressive they can be. It was also apparent that the rat had an injury to one of its eyes but how this occurred and whether it had any relation to a woodpecker is unknown.

SPRING AT COTTERDALE: THE SQUIRRELS

   Another one of the main reasons for staying at Cotterdale was the chance to photograph the amazing Red Squirrels that frequently visit the garden. On arrival I placed some squirrel food on the dry stone wall outside the cottage but initially there was no sign of any squirrels which was probably not surprising as there had been no one in the cottage for the previous few weeks. The next morning the food had gone so I replaced it and within 5 minutes the first squirrel arrived and this marked the start of regular visits during the week where up to three squirrels would be together and at least five different animals were seen and identified.

   It was educational to observe the different characteristics between the various squirrels, some would be more approachable than others and some would eat in front of you on the wall while some would take the food a few yards away to consume. Occasionally one of the squirrels would take a hazelnut and cross the river and field opposite to cache the nut in the woods before returning. In the area there were three distinct patches of woodland and at various times I saw squirrels entering the garden from all three using the dry stone walls as 'squirrel highways' so I think this indicates that there are several different families living in the dale.

   Many of the cottages in the hamlet place food out for the squirrels but during our stay I was amazed that so few people visited to watch for the squirrels but this was maybe due to the road leading to Cotterdale being a long cul de sac with the only option of return involving turning around and retracing your steps. I would definitely return as I find I can't get enough of these beautiful little animals and the other wildlife found in the area.

SPRING AT COTTERDALE: THE UPLANDS

   At this time of the year the uplands and higher fells are alive with breeding birds and one of these was my primary target to photograph during the week. This bird is the Golden Plover which is a species I have pictured during the winter where many stay on some of the arable fields in our region, however at that time of the year close views are very hard to get and I had been told that up on the higher fells during the breeding season they were much more approachable. I decided to use a local expert to help find them called Simon Philpott who runs various workshops all during the year and who I had used before when I attended his Red Squirrel hide.

   Driving over the small roads that cross the upper fells Simon led us to a heather covered moor where he said that the Golden Plovers were quite tolerant of us in the car and indeed it turned out that he was right giving me the opportunity to take pictures of these beautiful birds at very close quarters, both male and female. We even caught a fleeting glimpse of a chick rapidly disappearing into the heather.

   Another species that we spotted on this moor was the Redshank which is also seen around here but usually at a long distance. It was good to see them fairly close and I was happy to get a photograph of one bird perched on a dry stone wall.

   On all the moors we crossed we saw quite a few Red Grouse, mostly males with their red eyebrows but also some females which I personally think look fantastic with their mottled brown and gold plumage that blends in so well with the heather.

   Probably the highlight of the trip was when eight Black Grouse flew into a road side fell next to the car. They then proceeded to graze on the vegetation as the showers came through giving great views and at one point two of the male birds began to display to each other which Simon said was unusual to see at that time of the day. Normally Black Grouse males congregate at dawn on traditional sites that are known as 'leks' to display and fight to impress the females and assert their dominance before dispersing to graze. Black Grouse are much rarer than their Red Grouse cousins and require different vegetation to feed on, many of the land owners are trying to encourage them by planting the moorland with their foodplants. Unlike the reds the Black Grouse are not shot and indeed they are encouraged as some sort of status symbol by the estate owners. I was very lucky to get such good views and Simon said that they were some of the best views he had got from the roadside. Normally to get pictures of them displaying involves a trip to the Cairngorn area of Scotland where a hide is run on one of the leks but this involves getting there before dawn and trekking a distance to arrive before first light.

   A few of the other species seen up on the moors were Snipe, Short eared Owls, Skylark, Curlew and Grey Partridge, the last two of which are pictured below

SPRING AT COTTERDALE: THE RIVER

   We were lucky enough at the holiday cottage to have a beck run along the bottom of the garden which was home to both Grey Wagtails and Dippers although as it turned out the wagtails were not very obliging and very difficult to photograph but fortunately for me a few miles down the road at West Burton there were two pairs of Grey Wagtail nesting near to the waterfall that were very used to people and gave me excellent views.

   At the start of the week the adults obviously had young in the nest as they spent a lot of time collecting insects such as mayflies until their beaks could hold no more and returning to their nest alongside the waterfall. However at the end of the week when we returned the young had fledged and the parents were busy feeding three hungry chicks and I managed to get some pictures of them feeding even though the light was very harsh. The chicks were separated from each other along the riverbank below the waterfall but the parents knew exactly where they were and it was fascinating to sit and watch them.

   There were two pairs of Dippers along the beck and soon became apparent that both pairs were feeding young, one nesting under a nearby bridge and the other alongside a waterfall known as 'Cotter Force' and I managed to get some average shots of the parent birds without getting very close. During the week the young at the waterfall fledged but managed to get into a position mid way down the falls that made them very difficult to see, however the dryer conditions later in the week meant that the water levels had dropped and I found that by wading in the river below the falls with wellies on gave me unobstructed if distant views of the youngsters and I was able to grab some record shots of them. On the day the photos of the chicks were taken the temperature was in single figures with a cool breeze and I found that after two hours standing in the freezing water I had lost all feeling in my feet and it took ages to warm up back in the cottage. The things I will suffer for a few photographs!