A New Road and a Baby Barn Owl

On my Thursday walk with Mike Tinker today we had decided to walk the new road Langholm Initiative have had made to take the trees out of the felled wood at Hallpath. This has had to be done in the summer to prevent any damage to the habitat on Whita Hill.

This is at the Broomholmshiels end of the road.

A grand view of Langholm in the distance

Part of the road follows the track made by the people working on the pylons a couple of years ago

An even better view of Langholm

A little bit higher up from Broomholmshiels

We stopped for a Coffee Break at Broomholmshiels and Mike noticed in the distance a fluffy ball in the middle of the road so on closer inspection we found this baby Barn Owl.

It was very cute but in real danger from the forestry trucks going along the road

We decided to pick it up and put it back in the barn so Mike being very brave did the deed but not before it had stuck its claw into his finger and I had to remove it. 

This was the first time Mike had seen a baby Barn Owl never mind pick it up.

One of the Forestry Trucks plying the new road

A most beautiful bird. We contacted Langholm Initiative and two of the Tarras valley Nature Reserve team came up to look at it and managed to get it back into the nest box. They said that the Barn Owl expert Rick would visit tonight to see that it was ok. 

A Walk Round Jenny Nobles and New Seats

These photos are a week late in being posted, but I forgot to put them on my blog last week. It's the first time we have all walked together for quite a while. It was only round Jenny Nobles with Coffee at The Buccleuch Centre first and then Lunch there after our walk as well. The weather was excellent and the crack even better. 

At the Round House

It was so good to have Peter with us as he has had a difficult time recently and has now moved to Edinburgh to live so he got a lift down to Langholm with John and Sandria.

We have recently put several new Seats and Picnic tables on The Langholm Walks routes to replace damaged seats. This is at Colin's Turn on the Copshaw road. I was sitting on the seat admiring the view when Jane and Alan Kettle cycled by on their way to Newcastleton. They have been in Canonbie for about 3 years now and came as the first customers of Wild Eskdale and liked it so much they decided to move here. They have never regretted their move north from Lincolnshire.

The new Picnic Table at the Car Park on the Tarras Valley road to Cooms. This is Niall Weatherstone who sponsored the 2 Picnic Tables there and is with the new team from the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, Jenny, Angela, and Kat.

Me with Jane Kettle. In a way I was responsible for them coming to the area as I helped set up Wild Eskdale which was the reason they came to see the Hen Harriers and a Black Grouse Lek.

The new seat at Elizabeth Street

Niall and myself at the other Picnic Table on the road to Cooms.

The new seat replacing the damaged one at Lands End. We placed 2 Picnic Tables and 4 Seats this week and have another 3 seats to place in the next month.

 

An Early Morning Walk and Tree Planting on Tarras Valley Nature Reserve

Leo and myself at 7.00am this morning. It was glorious sunshine high up on the Moor but in the valley there was a river of mist.

Later in the morning we joined Kat on Tarras Valley to plant some more trees in lower Tarras.

I think its a Wheatear perched on the MacDiarmid memorial

This Raven in the bottom of the picture was being chased by a pair of Crows while we were planting trees.

A river of mist in the valley.

Leo was fascinated by the river of mist.

These are trees that Leo, Hannah and myself planted in about 2 hours this morning. 

The Langholm Monument on a beautiful morning. I will be back up tonight but the weather wont be as nice for the Beacon and Laser Show.

The MacDiarmid Memorial looking splendid with the mist in the background.

The River of Mist