With another huge fried breakfast inside me I headed uphill from Boot village towards Blea Tarn. The by now customary Yellowhammers, Willow Warblers, Wrens and Chaffinches were joined by plenty of Robins, including a number of juveniles, and a family party of Great Tits.

Once upon the ridgetop a Raven flew over doing its best demonstration of its “graak, graak” call and a Kestrel was hunting over some very boggy land. Somehow I got a bit lost amongst the crags and bogs, which is strange as this is exactly what happened to my dad and I when we came up here 27 years ago – he carried me across the bogs – this time I had to manage on my own getting very wet feet in the process. I found Blea Tarn and nearby Stiny Tarn where a Reed Bunting was busy calling – a quite unexpected species here. The view across the valley to Harter Fell, where I was yesterday was quite good and foretold the rain that was to come later.

Harter Fell

I walked across the moors where some old druid circles exist and some farmers were using sheepdogs to round up sheep before heading downhill. The path down was full of birds with 5 Tree Pipits, 2 juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a male Blackcap, a Whitethroat and many more common species.

Back down in the valley I walked down to the River Eske and along through the woods. Whilst walking across some fields I came across some juvenile Swallows being fed by their parents and allowing me to approach very closely: a nearby sheep seemed very interested in the whole episode too!

The woodlands were once again alive with species; Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Spotted Flycatcher, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker and a pair of Jays. The river Eske here is very beautiful, I remember having picnics here when I was small but today a Grey Wagtail was picnicking on insects. Heading back to the car the rain began to fall quite heavily so I drove to the coastal village of Ravenglass.