5 Counties - Twice!

[PMG]

I went awol yesterday with my friend Joan thro 5 counties - twice!

Ian said ....'I will see to your mam and get her dinner before going to work - why don't you take Joan for a day out.......' I didn't need telling twice (and bless his little cotton socks for suggesting it - I do love that man...)

So plans were laid to find Black Grouse (well I knew where they were but not exactly!) so I picked Joan up at 5am (and I was on time for once!) and we arrived in Teesdale, Durham at 07.35am!! We pottered up the valley to Langden Beck and the min we got there the cloud got lower and thicker, the wind blew even harder - and sunshine? Not a chance.... the forecast was for a decent day with excellent visability - yeah right as they say .........

To cut a long story short we found the grouse and at the finish saw 11 cock birds but not within anything like photographic distance but at least we saw them - more than I have ever seen before! But did manage pics of golden plover in these diabolical conditions - far far worse than even I am normally accustomed - but they have rescued back here on the comp - much to my amazement - probably cos the bird was beside the car less than 50ft away - we could see its eyelashes! (The original pic and what I ended up with is on my own website under Tips and Tricks)




The weather showed no signs of improving and trying to show the Cow Green area to Joan when we couldn't see a hand in front of our faces was sjust plain silly and I lost it ......... and said 'oh dear me - lets not bother Joan - lets go ride about until we find the sun.......'

So via Alston (which we couldn't see either!) we came down Hartside and began to see glimmerings of light in the Eden Valley at the bottom - when somewhere just before Melmerby (and a side trip into the Village Bakery for some top class organic goodies..) we burst out into a blue vault and sunlight that hurt our eyes........

I said ....'We will go to Ullswater - I haven't been there for a while' and so we got the chairs, a brew and the goodies out beside the lake and listenend to a Willow Warbler singing behind being drowned out by the traffic (I'd forgotten it was still school hols and silly busy!). I thought about a walk at Aira Force and couldn't park - too many folk already ........ and ended up at Brothers Water to find the Dipper nesting as I suspected and out came the camera again for another 45 mins of all action clicking! I wish now I had stripped my trousers off and gone in the stream with my back against the wall - the eye level would have been better and I wouldn't have attracted as much attention poss - tho maybe in just knickers, shirt and coat - maybe I would......... If Joan were here she would tell you that in my panic to suddenly get parking where she could sit beside and watch me - I almost ran her into the stream such was my urgency to grab this available parking spot and get back to the camera and dipper ......... oops! I did apologise!! I think I have been forgiven.........



When I'd had my fill - the birds were feeding crazy and the young sounded big and will prob fledge this weekend - I hope the parents have the sense to move the young down stream a little away from folks and dogs ...... Anyway we left them busy and took off up Kirkstone Pass, stopped near the top to look back at the view which was terribly hazy but at least it was sunny! Then I took my normal side track down past Limefitt and Troutbeck and then another offshoot little road which comes out at Ings.

It was still only mid afternoon the sky had gone more blue and it looked fab so I went across the M6 and off past Kirby Lonsdale to turn left at Ingleton and up another favourite route alongside Ingleborough between White Scar Caves and the twin waterfalls in the valley bottom. We went past Ribblehead and as far as Dent before coming steadily back to turn left for Horton in Ribblesdale. From there to Settle and into the best chippie for miles for a fish and chips supper - yum!

And to finish off it was then down the wonderfully twisty bendy route I used to so enjoy on my motorbike back in my youth ..... Wigglesworth, Rathmell, Tosside to come out at Copy Nook Bolton by Bowland, over the Ribble and past its waiting begging mallard at Sawley and the A59 all thro the valley to Salmesbury and onto the M6..... to be home 15 hours later at 20.30 hours ......

And the 5 counties: Gt Manc, Lancs, Cumbria, Teesdale - Durham, Cumbria, Yorks, Lancs, Gt Manc and home ........ I wish I'd taken notice of the mileage but I didn't know I was going on an oddessy until I'd done it! Did we enjoy it - you can say that again - shades of the old days!!

Joan and I are on red alert ..... wondering if Ian will suggest it again next time he's on lates ..........

Pauline

[camo]

Wow Pauline thats some rescue I am going on your site to see if I can rescue some of mine.

Roy

[tameblackbirds]

I really enjoyed your adventure Pauline Wow 15 hours What a day And the image of you in the stream LOL You'd have made the local press if someone had snapped you

Can't wait for you to take Joan out again

[hank]

What a great day out! Well done. Great report.
Look forwards to your next trip.

Keith.

[ellen h]

What a great day you had!!! Even in bad weather it was all worth it eh?
ellen

[Gypsy Orchid]

Wow sounds like a great day out but rather long do people really go out that early. Nice you made the most of your time off.
Sylv

[PMG]

Thanks guys n gals: yes Roy it really is worth taking pics whenever and then seeing what can be done back on the computer - digital and the programmes to edit are magical arn't they?! The old slide film camera would quite poss not even have taken the image and if it had it would have remained hazy grey and 'full of water' - I was amazed that when I zoomed into pixel level on the original there was a pattern in the noise of the background that represented the water drops in the air - it had actually photographed the drizzle!!

And yes Gypsy Orchid - I always try to go out that early and get the full day out of 'a day out' (I did find I was out of practice at it and cream crackered yesterday tho - must be getting older!)

I've warned Joan that the next time we may go out at 2am so I can put the hide up at these grouse under the cover of darkness ......... but if we do that I think the campervan may have to be used so that we have somewhere to sleep when we run out of steam mid afternoon!! (I'm defo getting older and slowing down a bit ......... )

Pauline

[camo]

Hi Pauline

I have now had a chance to look at your web tips and it would give a lot of people more confidence knowing how much of an improvement you have made to your pictures. Please take this as a great compliment but when you see the final fabulous pictures that you produce, such as your Long Tailed Tits etc it easy to believe you are on a different planet, however because of your honesty and preparedness to share the original files we can see less of a chasim. I have tried Photoshop, Canon default editing and am now using Photoscape; certainly Photoscape is easy to use and makes a big difference However I suspect like most I only use auto level, contrast, tweek the sharpen and add backlight. I am looking for a good one day editing course and will now explore Paint shop pro.

Thank you Roy

[foxy mars]

I'm walking in Teesdale area in 2 hours time, should be a good one. Photos to follow.

[PMG]

Originally Posted by foxy mars

I'm walking in Teesdale area in 2 hours time, should be a good one. Photos to follow.

I take it the weather is much improved today then - hope you have a fab time and bring back some good pics

Pauline

[PMG]

Originally Posted by camo

Hi Pauline

I have now had a chance to look at your web tips and it would give a lot of people more confidence knowing how much of an improvement you have made to your pictures. Please take this as a great compliment but when you see the final fabulous pictures that you produce, such as your Long Tailed Tits etc it easy to believe you are on a different planet, however because of your honesty and preparedness to share the original files we can see less of a chasim. I have tried Photoshop, Canon default editing and am now using Photoscape; certainly Photoscape is easy to use and makes a big difference However I suspect like most I only use auto level, contrast, tweek the sharpen and add backlight. I am looking for a good one day editing course and will now explore Paint shop pro.

Thank you Roy

No - thank you Roy!! I've been trying to get this message across for ages - maybe now you've said it folk will take it up! I think my dad must have taught me early on that presentation is all when it comes to putting something before other people - if you want them to like or admire your efforts! That was for artwork but I've applied the same rule to photography even when I was using slide film - and I still know folk who think nothing of going after one bird species and shooting off 50 rolls of slide film - thats 1,800 images for that one fabulous photograph.

Brilliant photography whether it be film or digital is a combination of things either set up before hand or engineered partially afterwards - very rarely does that magic moment filled with luck unfold down your lens - but sometimes it does! It is also a matter of never showing sub standard stuff - I learned that rule when doing slide shows - you don't put a slide in that you have to apologise for - folk pay money to see something good and tend to get disgruntled if you show them rubbish!

There are people born to be photographers I believe - folk who have innate skills which they learn to embroider - folk who's eye and sense of timing and an ability to shut their ears and concentrate down the lens - and then there;s the rest of us who with the right equipment - look at my early pages on here - you don't see many bird pics - I didn't have a big lens and now I do - simple as that! Until affording that big lens (and don't forget I'm 56!) I made the most of what I could get at and concentrated on little things and landscapes....

The only difference between me and other folk is I do have an eye for a pic (I used to paint and draw) and very often I 'see' pics in my mind that I would like to take, I do have an eye for composition tho this last 12 months of having a big lens I haven't been able to stop myself from going after frame fillers and I know its getting boring but it excites me! And I can turn a bad opportunity into a good one - or make the best of what there is - I have a crested tit somewhere back in these pages taken at distance, in square format with a very complimentary background - its an effective photo - the same for a distant kingfisher - again with the right background - the bird is tiny - but the only colour in the pic so it works .......

So as you now see its not a chasim at all - its a mere stepping stone - come on across

Pauline

[Pete Collins]

Thanks for the report and the stunning photos Pauline!

[Cazzie]

What a blast you two ladies had! You do make me laugh (and that's a compliment ) but I've still got this image stuck in my head of you in the stream in yr knickers!!!

Looking foward to hearing about your next escapade!!!

[ron1863]

Good to see you enjoyed yourself Pauline and had a nice break from the daily routine. Lovely photographs too.

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Cazzie

What a blast you two ladies had! You do make me laugh (and that's a compliment ) but I've still got this image stuck in my head of you in the stream in yr knickers!!!

Looking foward to hearing about your next escapade!!!

Originally Posted by ron1863

Good to see you enjoyed yourself Pauline and had a nice break from the daily routine. Lovely photographs too.

Thanks Cazz and ron - actually ron knows all about knickers and rivers - he found the pic of Ian in his big drawers in the River Hayle in Cornwall quite disturbing I seem to remember (that pic is in the Poking Fun sect of my own website next time your having a browse over there!!!)

Pauline

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by PMG

Thanks Cazz and ron - actually ron knows all about knickers and rivers - he found the pic of Ian in his big drawers in the River Hayle in Cornwall quite disturbing I seem to remember (that pic is in the Poking Fun sect of my own website next time your having a browse over there!!!)

Pauline

I saw them again Pauline............the nightmares won't go away

[PMG]

Originally Posted by ron1863

I saw them again Pauline............the nightmares won't go away

LMAO

[Cazzie]

Originally Posted by PMG

actually ron knows all about knickers and rivers - he found the pic of Ian in his big drawers in the River Hayle in Cornwall quite disturbing I seem to remember (that pic is in the Poking Fun sect of my own website next time your having a browse over there!!!)

Pauline

That makes two of us now - I'm still reeling from the shock!

Don't know why... but windowlene springs to mind...

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by Cazzie

That makes two of us now - I'm still reeling from the shock!

Don't know why... but windowlene springs to mind...

I could have scratched my own eyes out to relieve the pain

[PMG]

Originally Posted by ron1863

I could have scratched my own eyes out to relieve the pain

You could do with some treatment for these terrible 'flashbacks' ..... well flash something

Pauline