Tuesday 29 March 2011

Extended Season

Tues. March 30th 2011
           On our usual Sunday walk our starting  point was Malham Tarn at 1250ft, with this altitude increase in the Pennines it's noticeable how the growing season lags behind. In the woods surrounding the tarn the snowdrops were only slightly past their best, so for us folk who live in the Pennines the snowdrop season as covered over 7 weeks. I've been following some blogs from the southern part of England and their bluebells
are already in bloom in some favourable locations.

     

   Back to our walk perhaps it was a little disappointing, this upland area showed very few signs of spring. We followed the Pennine Way up through high farming country to the summit of Fountains Fell a flatish Gritsone fell of 2200 ft. It's not very interesting compaired with it's adjacent neighbour Pen-y-Ghent which is a Limestone fell with a Gritstone capping which is far more interesting botanically.


                           Nearing the top of Fountains Fell

Frogs spawning in the mire, back home in our garden pond the spawn has already hatched







     Looking across to a hazy Pen-y-Ghent  featured in my previous post

                        Amongst the spoil from the old coal mines

  And finally the Cow Berry a plant of the acidic moorlands in the Pennines












1 comment:

  1. Great snowdrop views, David. We still have them here too. Love your scenery as well. You certainly all keep fit :-)

    Enjoy your April walks now :-D

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