Scenes from May

There really aren't enough hours in my days at the moment, the past couple of weeks have been so busy and I've not had time write the blog posts I thought I was going to write. Instead I'm stopping by with a collection of scenes from May, taken since my last post.

There was another walk a couple of weekends ago...

A signing redstart

crab apple blossom

As well as a visit to Sheffield for a walk in the bluebell woods.

finding ten colours in nature (working  towards my Get Wild Badge!) 

I spotted some longhorn moths flying around the top of this tree ...

Bogbean in Ma & Pa's pond

Wild garlic during a very quick lunchtime walk

I was in Sheffield again last weekend to see VNV Nation for the second time this year (very good they were too) and on the way home, made a quick stop to see Monyash Well Dressings...

This board celebrates the toads that breed here each year. Monyash has the busiest 'Toad Patrol' in Derbyshire. Each spring, several volunteers spend the nights ensuring that the toads returning to their ancestral home get across the road safely to breed in the mere. There used to be five ponds in Monyash but these days only one remains.

This month I also did some really interesting training with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, learning how to lead bumblebee safaris, then worked Wild Wednesday this week for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust where we led bee safaris and had some bee themed activities happening.

Today, I was able to spend a few minutes outdoors watching bees visit iris and also spotted several types of fly, including this hoverfly, Rhingia campestris. I haven't seen one of these for a while.

a garden bumblebee

30 Days Wild begins again tomorrow (I've not even managed to write a blog post about that to see if anyone I know is joining in again!) and although life is busy, I'm going to attempt a daily 30 Days Wild blog post again as I've done it every year so it would be shame to skip this one just because I'm working longer days than I ever have before... I'm already struggling to keep on top of everything but it's only for a month, so I'll try to keep up with the blog throughout June...

That said, I'm starting off the month with a long, wild day and won't have chance to get on my computer at all tomorrow, so my day 1 blog post will not be on time, I'll be playing catch up on Sunday or Monday!

Are you taking part in 30 Days Wild this year?

A Walk from Edale to Crowden Tower

Last Monday....

I followed a favourite path..

Heading up Grindsbrook Clough....

(a nice, rocky scramble to the top)

up to the top, to the edges of Kinder.

The weather was changeable, as you'll see from the light in the photos here.

My arrival at the top of Grindsbrook Clough coincided with the arrival of some rain and hail.

My chosen path meant walking right into the hail!

I walked as far as Crowden Tower. I had a different route planned, about three miles longer than the one I actually walked, but by the time I reached this point, I'd had enough of hail in the face...

so decided to cut the route short and head down Crowden Clough, on the path below.

That outcrop of rocks on the skyline below is Crowden Tower, it's not an actual tower, built by man.

Of course, the weather passed over as I was on my way down.

There were some very bright greens when the sun peeped out and lit up the bilberry leaves.

There were curlews and grouse all around.

I heard my first cuckoo of the year here too

and enjoyed the scent of bluebells.

I love the sound of spring rain on the leaves and this ticked off one of the activities listed for my current "Get Wild" challenge, part of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's 50th anniversary celebrations. A number of staff are joining in to earn a Get Wild badge!

This path leads through Upper Booth and back to Edale, with views of the Castleton hills to the right.

Cutting the route short meant my walk was 7 miles, not the 10 miles I had planned, but that doesn't really matter. I probably wouldn't have heard a cuckoo if I'd not come down Crowden Clough, or seen the bluebells.  A good way to make the most of the bonus day off!