Grassington mines walk

I took a walk around Grassington to look at the lead mine workings around Hebden Gill, Yarnbury and Conistone Moor. It's odd to think that the landscape once shook with the noise of heavy, extractive industry. There were butterflies still around in the lower part of the valley.


This may be a "hush", where dammed water was released to strip away the topsoil to reveal the ore seams beneath.

Today just the ghosts of the workings remain as a reminder of the hard work endured by our ancestors.

These are the remains of an undershot water wheel used to drive crushing machinery (the hole for the axle can be seen in the stonework, centre and the channel for the water, just made out to the left).

Tenant miners could rent a thirty yard stretch of a seam working to extract the ore from shallow bell pits on the surface.

While walking up Mossdale (scene of the tragic Mossdale trip of 1967) towards Conistone Moor, I saw a ring-tailed Hen Harrier flying south east.

Mining spoil on Conistone Moor.

Return to Spurn

I went back to Spurn to stay at the observatory hoping for a big fall. The fall didn't happen but I saw lots of shore birds and other interesting things all the same.

I think this must be a porpoise skeleton.

This is a view from the pillbox opposite the Crown pub. One of a number of WW2 defences (the pillbox, not the pub) falling into the sea at Spurn.

A leucistic Dunlin (I think).

Bird tracking RADAR being operated by the Central Science Laboratory and birding friend Andy in his new job.

And again from the inside.

Otley Chevin and Timble Ings

Went for a walk with a colleague at Otley Chevin yesterday to do some photography. Here're the modest fruits of our labours.

After Otley Chevin I made my way to Timble Ings, hoping to watch Andy and Sean's bird ringing activities.

Here I saw more fungus and Lesser Redpoll.

Lesser Redpoll ringed by Andy and Sean.

I also saw these footprints which, I think, are Hedgehog.

Into the evening Andy and Sean tried for Long-eared Owl but without success.