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• Post #4361133

  Further update on the wall repair at Intake Farm. The existing wall is to the right and repair stops at my radio at the top. I am pleased with progress today. Got on quicker because I drove round a load of stone in the back of the pick-up to the top of the bank. Despite being delayed again by daft mum duck and her 6 ducklings. I had to wave at cars to slow down as she took them up the road. Heart in mouth as one stopped and a car went over it, safe between the wheels. No cattle grid falls.

• Post #4335160

  I've seen this film. This is brilliant, I think they're all juveniles, flocking together and probably travelling quite widely around the countryside. I'm pleased these starlings gathered here for a while, attracted by the now short grass in the fields. There must be over 100, on the pole and cables and a lot feeding on the ground. #Birds #BirdsOfMastodon

• Post #4323982

  I'd like to say it's #SilentSunday but the sun is shining so Craig is out early. Although these are hay meadows grown in a traditional way without artificial fertiliser, he's not making hay. This grass is not left to dry completely but will be baled fast in big round bales then tightly wrapped in plastic where the grass will ferment a little, preserving it's nutrients into the winter. Easier to store and handle than small hay bales, it's Haylage: not quite hay; not quite s...

• Post #4304319

  Saturday night musings while not watching TV and also thinking about climate. Eve and I really want a house of our own, we rent from a very large rural estate that likes long term tenants. It's cool up here, in both senses of the word! Eve likes Shropshire, Wales, somewhere south. I think we ought to stay at altitude (currently 1400ft, maybe go down a little) around this area. What do you all think would be best place in UK to be? #Climate

• Post #4304318

  How it started and how it's going. I let the farmer know that his cattle had a habit of chewing on bits of wood in the pile behind the byre. The wood is old, much of it soaked in creosote and full of nails and other bits of metal. Not the best diet for a cow. It may be coincidence but Cal turned up first thing and moved them along and into a field across the road. It may be that they're just being moved to new pasture.

• Post #4304317

  I got back to the job this morning to find both my A-frames that I use to guide the shape of the wall scattered about the hillside. One was right down at the foot of the bank. First thought was "kids!" Then I saw this lot. They have that 'who, me?' innocent look that means they're guilty as hell. #SheepOfMastodon #Farming

• Post #4304316

  Behold the vast empty wastes of the Tesco car park. It's why I park here, when in Catterick Garrison. To have space to get in and open doors easily. Except this one that works at Domino's Pizza and is so frail he can't walk the extra 6ft. Eat some pizza!

• Post #4304315

  Saw a largish bird through the window so went outside. Three Short Eared owls flying over the house and garden. Maybe a pair and a juvenile? It's dusk so difficult to make out. One of them had a good close hover and look at the end of the Catio, which got the cats inside excited.

• Post #4304314

  Some of you have said you like to see my progress on this challenging wall. I feel like I'm getting nowhere at times but I am meeting the existing wall at the top now. Once it's all up to the correct height I can put on the cope stones. Until then it's a bit uneven on top. I have started having to visit a pile of boulders about 50m away, breaking them for infill. Farmer came and took away another dead ewe, so I mentioned how tight the amount of stone is. Getting extra u...

• Post #4170147

  I'll call this a deliberate arty photo. Starlings were doing their thing of landing on the cows again. I'm doing my thing of failing to get a decent photo. Just as well I cleaned the windows. Typical Harwood weather so I'm not out walling, going over to Richmond and shopping at Catterick Garrison later.

• Post #4095102

  I took a quick snap out kitchen window to catch the starlings in this picture, (they're on the ground between the cows now) as they landed on the cows and that scene looked very photogenic. Of course as soon as I tried, they were off. They've also been jumping up at the cows faces and necks as they are well covered in flies. Clever birds!

• Post #4086962

  Back to normal in Harwood. It's a soft, light rain which should soak in if it lasts. #NPennines #Weather

• Post #3959517

  I went to inspect another three gaps in a dry stone wall for another neighbour. This one is on Widdybank Fell, near an outcrop of the Whin Sill. Look what I found: #TinyBalancingSheep (You might have to expand the photo.)

• Post #3858743

  Eve spent lunchtime looking at a topographical map site. The highest roads in England are all around here, with that from Langdon Beck to St John's Chapel the highest at over 2000ft. (the highest are in Scotland but only by 100ft or so). Mainly between here and Alston, over into Weardale and up to Nenthead. Surprisingly, Hartside Pass is not as high and Lake District and Yorkshire, while they may be scenic, don't get a look in.

• Post #3432395

  It's extremely windy up here, temperature in a normal summer range around 21 deg C. The byre has been taken over by juvenile swallows, at least four. I think the wind has made them seek shelter. I was a bit worried that they're not going out feeding (plenty of bitey insects!) but they seem to have adult birds feeding them. Teenagers. #Birds #BirdsOfMastodon

• Post #2530012

  Yesterday I was at Beck Foot farm down the road from my house. In the foreground there are the remains of concrete pillars that once supported an aerial ropeway. It ran several miles from the top of the hill, left of one of the houses in the distance, then behind me to the road at Langdon Beck. It carried Baryte from Cow Green mine. It all looks peaceful now, with curlew and Lapwing calling but long ago was populated and industrial, with at least three large lead and other mineral mines.

• Post #2379462

  I'm still monitoring the Lapwing breeding in the field across the road. Except they're not all across the road now. One family has crossed the road into the field beside the house. Really difficult to see them among the rushes but I could see 3 quite large chicks. Two Lapwing chasing a pheasant out of the area. Also 3 large chicks in front of the house. 2 smaller chicks (were 4) further in the field. I count 8 chicks in total today, may be more, difficult to count them now. #Bi...

• Post #2088021

  Three of the Lapwing chicks came near the roadside fence today. Here is one I was able to photo without disturbing it. This is about a week old, is one of 3. The recently hatched group of 4 is also visible. The older group of 4, I couldn't locate today. They've either moved into a corner of the field or out through the gate into another field. If I could see a chick or two, would mean losses, hopefully they've all moved. There's also two new Lapwing nests, so a...

• Post #1916644

  "that rabbit can't be comfy out there behind the bins." "zzzzzzzz" #Caturday

• Post #1874673

  "OK, Jasper, big man. This yard is for us rabbits." "Come on out here, if you think you're hard enough." #Cat #rabbit

• Post #1613060

  Spring Gentian flowers, rare in the UK but locally abundant on this slope in Harwood, Upper Teesdale. They are also to be seen on the better known Widdybank Fell near Cow Green reservoir, where they grow near a public footpath. Part of the Teesdale Assemblage, a group of rare species for which Upper Teesdale is famous. #Flora #Bloomscrolling

• Post #1460157

  "When planting out rabbits in the spring, choose a sunny spot in the border and water sparingly." You've read that in a Monty Don voice, haven't you? #rabbit #PetsOfMastodon

• Post #1427390

  Finally. Almost. Close enough. #TinyBalancingSheep

• Post #1406622

  Alston Young Archaeologists Club visited the Sandford Barrows site by the A66 near Warcop. This is managed by Oxford Cotswolds Archaeology as part of the A66 widening project. There are 3 barrows here, with this one being studied before it is all lost under a new dual carriageway. We were shown a piece of 'Peterborough ware' pottery that was found, along with a piece of polished axe material originally from Langdale, found on site. #Cumbria #Archaeology

• Post #1406620

  It's a lovely sunny day here and Eve suggested going to Low Force for a walk. That would mean driving 6 miles to a car park that is probably full already and walking among hordes of people. I've persuaded her to walk about a mile, maybe a little more, to a south facing slope on Neville's farm above the Harwood Beck. Nobody around. There may be Spring Gentians (Gentiana Verna L.) blooming as the sun is so strong. And no fossil fuel used. #Teesdale #Flora

• Post #992883

  Instant Karma in Hexham. Customer in front of me in Tesco left his card in the reader. As I ran through the car park to catch him, a lady in the queue handed my wife a tesco discount voucher for £8.

• Post #936079

  Photo from Monday, I've rebuilt most of this. Interesting day yesterday, met a couple who moved to Nenthead recently. They've cut down a beech tree and some conifer and are looking to trade the wood. I've agreed to do some dry stone walling and to try to teach the husband some of the skills. Further, they've got a lead mine level on their land, which they knew very little about. It looks like it's possible to go in and explore it.

• Post #936078

  The boundary wall between my neighbour, Marshes Gill, and the open fell is in a poor state. There are several areas of damage similar to this. It's not pretty but what I've done might save it from collapse for a while. I even managed to replace a throughstone without knocking out the other side. It's like playing Jenga with stones but in reverse. Before and after.

• Post #936077

  Went to a really interesting talk at the Nook cafe at Epiacum roman fort last night. A small business in Appleby run by an artist makes pigment and paint from local minerals, among other things. Mark Hilsden of the Colour Makers House was the speaker and pigment maker. Great speaker, interesting subject, he was well received by the small audience. He also offers courses in pigment and paint making. I plan to book a half or full day to learn more.

• Post #936076

  Eve was at her monthly textile group in Alston so I headed to Nenthead Mines to kill a couple of hours. I met up with other volunteers and we went into Rampgill level for a wander, as I had not been in there. After a few hundred yards we came to the brewery shaft which is 328ft deep. Then carried on into Scaleburn level, through water up to halfway up wellies. Some parts had to be accessed on hands and knees because of previous roof fall. #mining #Cumbria #NPennines