Wildlife photography workshop

Yesterday I took a client out on a wildlife photography workshop around Methley, Leeds. After picking him up from his home address we made our way to Lower Mickletown on the off chance of seeing a very rare ‘Little Bustard’, apparently it’s the first recorded sighting of this species in West Yorkshire since 1842. However on arrival at the site there were dozens of birders all cramped into a small space watching a fence line, but according to one of the regular birders it had been attacked by a Peregrine the day before so it was hunkered down hiding, and this little bustard certainly wasn’t going to show for fear of being attacked again.

We then made our way around to the nearby St Aidan’s Nature Reserve where the RSPB have done some excellent work in transforming an old coal mine into various ecosystems, which support a huge variety of wildlife. Another rare species here was a little stint, but it had flown away a few minutes before we arrived, so another rare species that we didn’t see today.

Nevertheless we had a lovely walk around the site, and with plenty of species showing we managed to get some decent shots. We discussed various camera settings, rules of composition and species identification. The rain managed to stay away and a few hours later I dropped a happy client back at his home address.

If you fancy a walk out photographing some wildlife then get in touch.

Black Hill - Citizen Science Survey

An evening solo walk from Holme Moss to the trig point at Black Hill (Soldiers Lump), to help with a citizen survey looking at Mountain Hares and moorland birds. I also visited the site of a crashed Swordfish (P4223)
The route was a bit muddy and I didn't see another soul on the whole walk, but I did manage to see a bit of wildlife. A couple of Kestrel's hovering together, plenty of Meadow Pipit, a couple of Lapwing, a few red grouse, a solitary Mountain Hare and a few Brown Hares. The path verges were covered in carpets of Billberry with big juicy berries, Star Moss and Rose Bay Willow Herb. I managed to get a few decent photos, and all registered on the i-record app.

Walking for health

Yesterday I took a group of 10 for a 3.5 mile walk around the stunning countryside of Huddersfield. We met at Castle Hill, with stunning views in all directions, and set off in glorious sunshine, which was only interrupted briefly by a light shower.

A really great group, with some new and interesting faces, and very pleasant walk. We stopped a few times to look at various plants including Rose bay Willow herb and Orange Hawk weed, and to play a couple of silly games.

These walks are perfect for those coming back out of injury or illness, and are held every 3 weeks with either myself or another walk leader Abi. Thanks to those that attended and made it such a pleasant walk.

Kielder Forest

For the last 2 days we have been up in the Kielder forest area, looking at locations for a Stargazing weekend in November. Quite happy with the accommodation, observatory tour, restaurant, and a couple of routes for guided nature walks. Just need to pull it all together now, oh, the hardships of running a small business ;) Watch this space for dates.

Endurance and sleep deprivation.

Yesterday I drove down to Youlgreave in the Peak District to help with a 26 mile Marie Curie charity walk. My role was to act as a guide, and walk in the middle of the group of 80 walkers, making sure everyone was okay and didn’t get lost.

I tagged along with a group of 3 lovely people Steve, Emma and Lorraine, who had all raised considerable amounts of sponsorship for the Marie Curie charity, and all 3 were determined to finish. Apart from a heavy shower the weather was warm and dry, the route was stunning with plenty of wildlife on show and the company was excellent.

Well done to my 3 walking companions and to the many more that completed this gruelling challenge. Once the last walker had crossed the finish line and all the flags and markers had been collected I was free to go, so I made my way straight to my next job in Llanberis, North Wales

My next job was a night walk up Snowdon for a company called Large Outdoors who have events all over the UK every weekend.

I met up with the other Mountain Leader Kevin O’Brian at about 1.15 am then met the rest of the group at 1.30 am. Kevin is a brilliant photographer and his website is worth a visit. (https://www.kevinobrian.co.uk/). Once the team were fully briefed and kit checked we were on our way up the steep road to towards the Llanberis path. There was no gentle intro to this walk, you are straight into the steepest section of the whole walk, but once off the road and onto the path the gradient is a bit gentler.

The skies looked promising, there was some clouds, the moon and some stars on show and we thought we would be treated to a spectacular sunrise. However about half way up the clouds closed in and we eventually realised that we were not going to see any sunrise. We arrived at the summit bang on sunrise at 5.15 am, and whilst we were all at the trig the clouds opened briefly in the opposite direction from the sunrise where we were treated to some stunning views. After a few more photos we made our way back down, we were treated to a few more views on the way down and eventually arrived back at Llanberis about 8.30 am.

A really great group who all made it to the top, and it certainly made our job easier. Well done guys and a pleasure to meet you all.

On the way home I certainly needed to pull over for a half hour power nap and once at home crashed on the sofa for a few hours.

D of E Bronze qualifying expedition

For the last 2 days I have been assessing a group of 6 young people from Manchester Enterprise Academy (MEA) on their 2 day Duke of Edinburgh Bronze qualifying expedition. To me and the rest of the supervisors they were known as the ‘Purples’, due to the colour of their rucksack covers, but to the young ones, they had called themselves the ‘Purple Turtles’, as their large packs looked like a large turtle shell.

Day 1 started with introductions, kit checks and a briefing to explain to the team as to what was expected from them. They then started on a tough 9.6 mile walk, with some steep hills, heavy packs and hot weather. I accompanied them for a while, but then cut them loose to navigate on their own, then a few hours later they arrived at the camp site still smiling. Tents up and a substantial hot meal before they eventually settled down for the night.

Day 2 was a much wetter but a shorter day, and the group were totally self reliant for navigation. The day started with a slight navigational error, but they recognised their mistake and were eventually back on track. The day finished with a debrief, coffee and cake and I am pleased to say that they all passed. Well done guys

During the 2 days I was looking at 4 key areas, (R.A.N.T) Respect (for themselves, team mates, instructors, members of the public, country code etc, Admin (camp craft, packing their rucksack, looking after their kit etc), Navigation (simple route following, half bearings, contours) and Teamwork (how they supported their colleagues).

Over the 2 days I saw some brilliant examples of teamwork, very supportive of each other and they managed to convince one of the team who had aching feet and having second thoughts, to finish the walk. Very impressed with this team, who worked hard, supported each other and dug deep when it got tough. Many thanks to Keiran, a volunteer from Lloyds bank and Stuart for your valuable help over both days. Now to do some paperwork and reports for D of E

Work experience continues

Today is week 2 of Callum’s work experience and we even got a visit by one of his teachers from his school.

We started the day at Beaumont Park at Huddersfield where we completed the excellent orienteering course in the park. This was an opportunity to look at a different map scale, and practice some half bearings and pacing. We then retreated to a cafe to do a tabletop exercise on nutrition and planning food for a 2 day expedition.

After a healthy breakfast we relocated to Castle Hill to practise some security on steep ground and identify some plants.

We then completed an emergency procedures table top exercise, a photography workshop and finished with a look at route cards with Callum given some homework to plan a route. Lots of subjects covered today and I’m quite happy that this young man will make an excellent mountain leader.

Hawes Charity Walk

Yesterday I helped out with a 40 mile Cystic Fibrosis charity walk in the stunning Yorkshire Dales. The route saw the walkers starting at Hawes, walk over Great Shunner Fell, then down to Muker, along the River Swale to Reeth, head back South over Grinton Moor, then down to Bolton Castle and along the River Ure back to Hawes.

My section of the walk was from Bolton Castle to Hawes a distance of 13 miles or 21 km. My role to act as a sweeper walking behind the group removing all the markers, flags, picking up any rubbish and making sure that nobody was left behind.

I must admit that my section of the walk was absolutely stunning with an abundance of wildlife showing itself. On the river sections I saw plenty of Mallard, Greylag Geese, a Grey Heron, thousands of rabbits and a deer. Away from the river I saw Curlew, Oystercatchers, Lapwing, Kestrel, Brown Hare and the icing on the cake was 3 Barn Owls hunting at dusk. Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera so I had to use my phone, and I’ll definitely be back with my camera and big lens.

This was a walk that I didn’t want to end, and it was only when the darkness kicked in that I realised that I was here to work and not to enjoy myself. So what I took away from this walk is that I certainly need to visit the Yorkshire Dales more often. Hope you enjoy the photos

Anglers Country Park

Today I spent the day with Callum Eaves who wants to be a Mountain Leader and is on a 2 week work experience with us. We started at Go Outdoors to look at equipment, boots, layering system, camping kit, food and stoves. We then relocated to Anglers Country Park where we practised some more Navigation and wildlife identification. Whilst navigating around the area we discussed camp craft, group management and leadership styles. Plenty of wildlife on display today including Buzzard, Reed Bunting, Lapwing, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Common Blue Damselfly, and Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly.

RSPB Old Moor

Today I spent the day at RSPB Old Moor with Callum who is with me on his 2 week work experience. We started the day discussing weather, where to find accurate weather reports, synoptic charts, wind chill, shipping forecast, and cloud types.

We then spent the rest of the day looking around the nature reserve as any Mountain Leader needs to be able to identify wildlife. The weather was kind to us and we spotted about 40 species including Bittern, Common Sandpiper, Redshank and Black Tailed Godwit. Think the young one enjoyed it and he managed to get some decent shots on his camera.

Solitary Bee Awareness Week

Bee-lieve it or not, it’s Solitary Bee Week, which is an annual week of action and education, to raise awareness about our incredible solitary bees. This year, it takes place between 1st and 7th July 2019.

Although most people are aware of honeybees and bumblebees, solitary bees are the unsung hero of the pollinating world. With over 240 species in the UK alone, they make up 90% of the bee population and along with other pollinating animals are responsible for one third of all the food we eat. Here’s a great little chart to help identify our little friends in their stripy little jumpers, or visit https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/bee-identification-guide to see how many species you can spot this week. For even more information have a look at https://happydiyhome.com/ground-nesting-bees/

Work Experience

Today I spent the day with a future Mountain Leader. I have agreed to look after Callum, who wants to be a Mountain Leader, on a 2 week work experience from school.

After passing the Silver NNAS course yesterday, today was a bit more relaxed. We met at Langsett Barn for a bit more navigation, then looked at security on steep ground, river crossings, geology, and the route to becoming a Mountain Leader.

Silver NNAS Navigation Course

Today saw the final day of a 2 day Silver NNAS navigation course. During the course we covered contours, re-entrants, spurs, pacing, timing, orientating the map, half bearings, full bearings, aiming off, boxing, tick off points, catching features and navigational strategies. Day 1 started with a classroom input before we relocated to a nearby orienteering course to practice some navigation.

Day 2 was more adventurous, we met at Digley Reservoir where we made our way up Black Hill. At the trig point we took a bearing and paced to the site of a 2nd world war Swordfish plane crash, then headed back down looking at landscapes and back bearings.

We then retreated back to a Cafe at Holmfirth for debriefs and to put the candidates out of their misery. I am happy to say that both candidates Gabby Butler and Callum Eaves, passed with flying colours. Well done guys.

Plants to look out for in July

How many of these can you spot this month

Conservation Diploma

A couple of weeks ago I was laid up with a slipped disc. Anyone that knows me will know that I can’t sit still and need to be doing something, so I signed up for a Conservation Diploma with Stonebridge College. The course covered such things as Global Warming, Deforestation, Desertification, Fisheries management.and much more.

I learnt absolutely loads from this course, my final project was on Puffins and the over fishing of their main food source Sand eels in the North Sea.

Today my certificate arrived and I was awarded an A+.

Walking for Health - New Mill

This evening I spent a couple of hours in the excellent company of Gabby Butler, a walk leader who is starting up a Walking for Health walk in the little village of New Mill near Holmfirth.

The walk was very pleasant with plenty of history on the local mills, Pixie houses, wood carvings and plenty of wildlife on offer including Song Thrush, Wren, Blackcap and even a Dipper. It was a nice easy walk to help me recuperate after a back injury, followed by a social drink afterwards, just what the doctor ordered.

The walk is held at 6 pm on the last Wednesday of each month, highly recommended and what a great way to spend an evening with some like minded folk.

First Aid Course

Yesterday I completed a 2 day Outdoor First Aid course with a local company called ‘Addventure’.

Anyone working in the outdoor industry requires an up to date First Aid certificate, which are valid for 3 years. This course was a refresher for me to be able to keep my Mountain Leader qualification valid, and it is also a requirement for my insurance.

The course was run at Emergency House, home of Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team, and run by John Roberts who was an excellent instructor. John certainly knew his stuff and we all went away educated and inspired. Some of the scenarios were certainly thought provoking, but if you stick to the ABC procedure that is taught then you can’t go wrong. A highly recommended course for anyone looking to re qualify or even if you just want to know the basics of First Aid

iRecord App

Yesterday I was introduced to a great free app called ‘iRecord’. It allows you to get involved with biological recordings of birds, animals, insects and plants. You can contribute your species sightings with GPS acquired coordinates, descriptions and other information, thus providing scientists with important new biodiversity information that contributes to nature conservation, planning, research and education. Have a look and see what you think

Click here to download the app https://irecord.org.uk/app/

Summer Solstice Events

21st June 2019 is the Summer solstice, also known as midsummer, and is the day of the year with the longest period of sunlight. The sun rises at 04.36 hrs and sets at 21.48 hrs (with some slight variations depending on your location in the UK). The day is celebrated around the world and here in the UK there are hundreds of events to celebrate the solstice. Check out the below list to see if there’s anything near you to help fill in them extra daylight hours.

1. Solstice Night Ride from London to Hastings. Summer Solstice Night Ride

A 75 overnight bike ride, aiming to arrive in Hastings for sunrise

https://www.brakethecycle.co.uk/micro-adventures

 2. Solstice Special at Abriachan

Stargazing and stories from an astronomer and countryside ranger around a campfire.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/solstice-special-at-abriachan-tickets-46708904591

 3. Snowdon Sunrise Summer Solstice with Mountain Escapes

A guided walk from Llanberis and arrive at the summit just in time to watch the sun rise.

https://sites.google.com/view/mountain-escapes/events/snowdon-sunset-summer-solstice

 4. Castleton Summer Solstice with Mountain Escapes

A guided walk on The Great Ridge to witness this beautiful sunset. Leaving Castleton at around 6 pm, walk into Hope (maybe stop for a swift one at The Cheshire Cheese pub) then off up the Great Ridge to get to Mam Tor in time for sunset. Then back along the Broken Road and back into Castleton.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/castleton-summer-solstice-tickets-55661196136

 5. Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

One of the oldest solstice events in the UK, organised by English Heritage and you may even see a few druids.

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/summer-solstice/

 6. Geocaching - Summer Solstice 2019 - Combs Edge

Meet in the village of Combs, then a steady 3 hour social walk on Combs Edge near Chapel-en-le-Frith, to watch the sunset

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC889AV_summer-solstice-2019-combs-edge

 7. Summer Solstice evening walk from Pudsey, Leeds

A 6.5 mile circular walk, through Tong Beck and Cockers Dale, with a pub afterwards.

https://takeahike.org.uk/walk/summer-solstice-evening-walk-from-pudsey/

 8. Castlerigg Stone Circle, Keswick, Lake District

A 17 mile night walk aiming to arrive for the sunrise at 4.38 am

https://www.lakedistricthotels.net/summer-solstice.php

 9. Lake District Wild Camp

A wild camp with a Mountain Leader to watch the sunset and then the sunrise

https://www.largeoutdoors.com/event/lake-district-summer-solstice-wild-camp/

 10. Marsden Moor, Huddersfield

A walk with a National Trust ranger to watch the sunset.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/dd8fa948-c6f9-42f1-886a-7c42561578c3/pages/details

Teaching Navigation workshop

Yesterday I spent the day with Graham Uney of Graham Uney Mountaineering, looking at teaching Navigation in the stunning little village of Bampton in the Lake District.

The morning started with a classroom input at Bampton Tea Rooms where we looked at maps, map scales, and types of compasses. We headed out briefly to some nearby rocky ground to look at using ropes to simulate contours, Then after trying some of the gorgeous cake from the tea rooms we headed out to practice some navigation techniques, setting the map, half bearings, pacing, full bearings, timing cards, and relocating techniques.

In all a really fantastic day, you may be a brilliant navigator but teaching it is another matter and I learnt loads of top tips for teaching on this one day workshop. Graham is very knowledgeable and anyone looking at any of his workshops, I would highly recommend giving them a go.