A Couple of Days Away

So, Mrs PB's mums birthday is next weekend, but due to work commitments we would be unable to attend the planned family gathering, so we headed up to Yorkshire on Thursday morning. We'd planned a posh hotel dinner and overnight stay, before heading back dahn sarf

It was about as good a trip as could have been hoped for (I'd updated the sat nav so it had all the new roads around Oxford, and along the A1(m) it had all the speed cameras lol)

We were staying just outside Hawes, so whilst Mrs PB and Mum were G&T-ing I took a walk down to Hardraw Force (where Maid Marion saw Kevin Costners Robin Hood taking a bath) With the wet we've been having it was quite impressive. It's been a while since I've seen the film, but I think they used some clever cinematography!!

On the pathway to the falls were some party people (fungi's :o) )

The view from the hotel grounds... the falls are down behind that farmhouse, you can hear them long before you see them.

Come back up to the hotel, I realised how unfit I am!!

Friday morning dawned stunningly beautiful, and a pair of residents greeted me

The sparrows were raucous

And the Mr Peacock stepped into the sunlight. as if taking to stage like some diva

Behind me Mr & Mrs BB has a squabble

And, just over the wall, Mr Pheasant strode across the frost topped field, as if he owned it!

After breakfast we dropped our guest home, then headed back dahn sarf. We'd booked a B&B in Oakham, by Rutland Water, and thought we'll have a wander for a couple of hours Saturday before mooching home.

Outside the visitor centre was a screen with feeders up for the usual suspects, who were there in numbers

I'll start with a robin (so I don't get reprimanded for not showing one by MC hehe)

Through to the lakes themselves, and there were, again, a lot of the usual suspects, wigeon, teal, cormorant, mallard, gadwall, mute swan, and probably 000's of lapwing

Bleedin' cormorant get everywhere.... :o)

A heron exploded from the reed bed infront of the hide

And then a swan majestically flew by

There were some disdainful looking sheep on the way to the 3rd hide we visited (There are far more than we had time to visit!... hides, not sheep)

From the hide I saw my 2nd (and 3rd) Pintail 

And then noticed again, that all the lapwing when on the ground, are facing the same way

And, then, for no apparent reason...they weren't

And that concluded our 3 day 600 mile round trip for a couple of old birds  (Don't tell Mrs PB I said that!!)