Home early

Unfortunately our holiday was cut short as i have somehow got a viral infection and feel 'yuck' so we had to come home early wednesday instead of today (saturday).
Such a shame as it was a lovely little village 'maulds meaburn' and a nice little cottage too called 'riversteps'. We arrived saturday afternoon 15th, unpacked and had a quick look around the place.
Excellent place if you want to just chill and relax - no mobile phone signal so nobody can bother you, no shops, no pub (but) there's a really nice one a few miles away in 'Orton' called 'The George' good food, friendly comfy pub with a big log fire. If you like a sunday paper they deliver to the bus shelter for you to pick up from there.
The river 'Lyvette' runs right through the middle of the village...very picturesque, so we were able to watch any birds on it from our cottage window as it was only about 15-20 yards away and its pretty fast flowing in parts so we got to see some dippers that sat on the stepping stones, 2 yellow wagtails, 2 mallards. We also had a fleeting glimpse of 2 goosanders for a few minutes before they took off when they realised we were there. The garden of our cottage, and the 2 adjoining cottages had plenty of birds for us too watch, tree sparrows, housesparrows, thrush, blue-tits, long-tailed tits, great-tits, coal-tit, 1 bull-finch, 4 dunnocks, 2 robins, goldfinch, wren, chaffinch, rook, jackdaw. Plus while i was cooking tea a black-pheasant appeared from nowhere and sat himself on the garden fence, about 2 yards or so from the kitchen window, but up close he was a beautiful dark blue, what gorgeous colours. He came into our garden and next doors each of the few days we were there. There is a male and female kestrel to be seen flying around the riverbank and a grey heron landed on the river at the far end of the village, but couldnt get a close look as it would have frightened him off.
I was gutted that we had to come home early because of me being ill, but hopefully we can go back when the weather gets a little warmer...

Dreaded flu

Had cold/flu for over a week so thought it best to stay indoors and try to get rid instead of going out and about at the weekend, as we're off to the lakes on saturday for a week.
We've got a couple of places we want to go back and re-visit, ie Osprey site in bassenthwaite, as it was closed when we were there last year. And we couldnt go to the lakes without paying another visit to Muncaster owl sanctuary, they've got some really fantastic birds there. Plus it gives the hubby another excuse to go on the ravenglass steam train.......as if he needs one!
But apart from that it will be really nice to just relax, chill out and not have to go to work for 10 days.

Another cold weekend

Saturday 1st March
Was a little strange not driving up the coast today as usual but, the hubby had to do some work on our kitchen thats been put off for a few weeks now, and the weather forecast wasnt too good so he got stuck in. Im not allowed to help, unless i'm being the go-for and tea maker. But...being a woman i did offer some (what i thought) was some helpful comments, like "can i just say thats not straight" - "why cant that go there instead" and "why do you have to put your dirty toolboxes on my good table". But..im afraid they werent taken in the non-critical way they were meant, so i was ordered out of the house and told to "go shopping"....what a punishment...but it works every time!!
Sunday 2nd March
After the rounds of visiting (mothers day) we drove up to Fenham-le-moor which is one of the Lindisfarne reserves opposite holy island where you can watch sea birds from just off the shore, its always very quiet and peaceful as theres rarely anyone about much, we've only ever seen one other car there in all the times we've visited. Was a lovely sunny clear day and lots of birds about. Loads of pale-bellied brent geese, shelducks, widgeon, curlew, grey plover, sandling and black-headed gulls. Beside the hide in the field there are 3 dunnocks living in a rusty trough. A wren came onto the top of the hedge next to where i was standing, literally 2 feet away from me, and she was going beserk, obviously because i had disturbed her, but they're normally very shy and dont come too near people. I coulnt help but laugh though what a racket from such a tiny bird...but they are beautiful little birds.
Robin and a dunnock having a bath in a puddle, and in a tree there was what could have only been a yellow hammmer or siskin, the breast was bright yellow and steaked, but we couldnt get a really good luck as the sun was in our faces, then it flew off after 2 or 3 minutes.
Stopped off a coldgate mill while we were in the area, and we did see a dipper sittng on a rock in the middle of the ford, but, apart from that there was lots of birds to be heard but not to see..which was a shame. Near home stopped for a quick look on cresswell pond which had widgeon, teal, mute swans and mallard. Hope the weather forecast is wrong and it doesnt snow in the next few days..