Taking a hawk for a walk

For my birthday last January Stu bought me a days falconry experience - and for various reasons I've just got round to using it. I've flown birds a couple of times and loved it, but only for an hour or so and only with other people, so to do it for a whole day, and on my own with lots of birds and a falconer was fantastic.

We went to SMJ Falconry which is near Haworth. It was a terrible day, mist, wind and drizzle, but I'd already had to cancel one because of bad weather, so we set off regardless. The scenery was spectacular - those of you who know the area will know how rugged it is, and some lovely, "northern" villages with dark stone house and dark satanic mills lurking in the mist.

Luckily the weather cleared up a bit in the morning, and I had a great introduction to the birds, from a tiny hawk, who was lovely,

to some amazing owls,

and falcons

They were all fascinating. I didn't realise how many different types of owl there were - I think she had over 50 there.

Then I got my chance at flying them. The owls and hawks will fly to your glove, the falcons tend to be flown by them chasing a lure which is spun by the falconer. It was a great experience. Here's a kestrel landing on my glove.

And one of the barn owls

Of course, they don't fly to you for the fun of it - they want the food you have in your glove. We had day old chicks, or bits of them. Only when they've flown to you a few time are they rewarded with a whole one or two - and owls can swallow them in one go.

But the best bit of the day was taking a hawk for a walk. Really. Bit like taking a dog, but it flew. Or walked sometimes. We had a harris hawk called Toby. Here he is:

I let him off the glove and went for a walk along footpaths and across fields, and he came with us. Sometimes he flew up over the valley, trying to catch the thermals, then he would come back to us and land on a fence or rock. Sometimes he walked with us. Of course, he did get fed when he came back, but it was a great experience.

One of the kestrels took a liking to Stuart's shoulder:

and one landed on my head.

 Totally my fault as I turned away as he was flying towards me, and he had to land somewhere. My head just happened to be the highest point.

It was a great day - I got to handle and fly loads of birds, and learnt so much about them. I would certainly recommend it if you are interested in these magnificent birds of prey.

Girls weekend away

For the last 16 years or so we've had a "girls weekend away". Began life as an "allmenarebastards" weekend, but we've progressed. Normally we go in November, but because of various prior commitments, this year we were much earlier. some pros - lots more light at the end of the day, and cons - didn't feel quite as close to Christmas for our festive meal.  But, a great time was had by all!

Met at the station for a coffee, and then set off to Alnmouth on the train - First Class obviously- and had a great communal picnic.  G and T, wine, sandwiches, indian snacks, prawns, chicken - you name it, we ate it on the train.

Taxi to meet us at the other end, and off to our lovely house - huge, lots of rooms, including a games room and conservatory. We'd thought ahead and Sainsbury's delivered the shopping. After unpacking we went for a walk along the river and to the beach. The tide was in and it was misty - very atmospheric. Found a little ferry hut, and lots of boats.

Walked along the beach and then cut up through the town and back along the river where we saw a heron.

Then it was back to house, knitting, snacks, the odd drink followed by dinner of sausage and mash.  After dinner a couple of us ventured out to the local pub which was supposedly haunted.

Saturday was a good big cooked breakfast and off on the bus to Alnwick.  Spent several hours in the Alnwick garden which was very impressive. Water features, formal gardens

and a poison garden which you had to be accompanied into.

 Can't think why...

also saw an amazing shaggy inkcap in the grass

and some real doves in the Dovecote

Then a couple of us went to the castle  - where the first two episodes of Harry Potter were filmed.

Lovely place, but the funniest part was a dark walk through called Dragon Quest which scared both of us to bits and made us scream.

Lovely lunch in a pub, a walk round the shops and back on the bus.

After watching as much of Strictly Come Dancing as we could get away with we walked up the village to an Italian restauarant were we had a lovely meal.

Sunday was another cooked breakfast, and a walk along the beach. The sun was shining, the tide was out, there was sand, rock pools, crabs, and unfortunately and very big dead seal.

Cut inland and walked along the river

to Lesbury for lunch in the Coach Inn,

and then back to Alnmouth by the river where we saw the heron again.

Spent the afternoon cosied up as a group knitting, drinking whisky mac and watching videos we found in the cottage - Peter Kay live and Love Actually!

Sunday night was Christmas dinner  - told you it was early :-)   Chicken and all the trimmings, including Christmas pudding set alight with brandy. And of course we made our traditional soup with all of the left overs. And I mean all.

Monday morning was a light breakfast and a walk to the river estuary, back along the beach

and a coffee.

Some shopping in the village, and lunch of soup before the taxi back to the station for a 2 o'clock train.  we managed to decant all the drink we had left over into plastic bottles, so the journey back was quite fun.

Fab weekend as always - great place, and great company with great girfriends!!

Nature's Bounty

Last camping weekend of the season - back to Laneham where we went last year and got flooded! Got there nice and early, tent went up very easily, and we were soon sitting with friends with a cucumber g and t.

I love my tent, but this might be the last time we pitch it - I'd quite like a new one for next season...
In the evening we walked by the River Trent

into the village and the pub for fish and chip might. unfortunately they'd run out of fish and chips :-(

Still, a good night was had, and we were up bright and early for our famous communal breakfast, and a walk to the next village to get the bus to Retford (my home town).  After a coffee we joined the canal towpath for our usual walk - the Chesterfield Canal is lovely.

The sun was shining, and we soon made it to my favourite-named lock

where some took the opportunity to strip a nearby bush of sloes

Others played with the lock!

There was a goit by the lock which was full of trout. We carried on, past many fishermen, swans, ducks, moorhens, coots, and past the wild hops in the hedgerow, just past a pub called The Hop Pole.

 We also saw this

which we later discovered to be a rose bedeguar gall, or a Robin's pincushion gall, on a rose hip. Fascinating.

Eventually we reached another pub, The Gate, where we had a lovely lunch.  A walk back to town

Some shopping for the meal later, and the bus back. We stopped for a drink at the local brewery, and managed to pick up bramley apples, eating apples, plums and eggs from honesty stalls outside peoples houses in the village. Back at the campsite we picked a bag of lovely blackberries, and made a blackberry and apple crumble for tea. Yum!
As we thought it might be too cold for a BBQ (we were wrong), we had a chilli, rice, garlic bread, jacket potatoes, and pudding. Lots of music, and some wine and beer to wash it down with.

Then we walked to the pub and met my family for a drink - a lovely evening, and followed by a nightcap or two in our friends van.

Lazy Sunday morning, another communal breakfast, including a lot of fried bacon

and I managed to pick a carrier bag of wild damsons from a tree on the riverbank. Eventually got the tent down, and drove home, where I began the task of turning our wild pickings into sloe gin and damson vodka. A great end to the camping season.