Favourite view

Gus and I saw the first sunrise of the year and decade as we ascended above Redhills Wood on the Knott.  Another day in the sequence of cloudy days that began with clear skies. Yes, this is perhaps my favourite view (at least from the Knott), and clearly my preference was shared by someone else whose ashes have been scattered near the viewpoint seat, and which I nearly stepped in.  Alas, deposited ashes are not so good for the limestone flora here, and generally are not not so good for native vegetation.

The beginning of the year and a new year list for birds. However, this New Year's Day I joined Lynne, our resident President of the Botanical Society of the British Isles, on a walk around Arnside as our contribution to the national New Year plant hunt. In a three hour walk round Arnside, we found 43 species of native and self-sown alien flowering plants in flower - considerably more than Lynne found last year.  If that sounds good, it is also a bit concerning, a sign of milder winters with some spring plants already in flower (e.g. primrose) and some summer plants lingering on (e.g. ragwort). It's perhaps one of the gentler manifestations of climate change that is wreaking havoc around the world.  Anyway it was an enjoyable way to start the year, and I picked up some new tips for identifying certain species.

So the afternoon was given over for a quick catch up with wetland birds at Leighton Moss, and it was only after I had been there for an hour or so with Simon and (not so little) Matthew that my bird list for the year overtook my flower list. They had been out birding all morning and had already bagged two rare vagrants, which made Matthew very happy as his list for 2020 is already looking far better than mine.

Happy New Year!