UP THE DALES

The annual Black Grouse hunt and a successful one. Though it took a while as a farmer plus two dogs were reuniting twin lambs with their mother who was four fields away, and across the Black Grouse lekking field. The dogs were a joy to watch, through binoculars as this was all happening way across the moor, but the wee lambs must have been puffed after all that uphill rounding up. The ewe didn't seem that bothered to meet up with her offspring again and the lambs retreated to the shelter of a stone wall. The family had been left in a field empty of other sheep so hopefully a bonding of sorts happened eventually. They were very young lambs; and a surprise to see the difference between them and our chunkier looking ones down here.

A good day with the Black Grouse though, when they at last jumped over the wall back to their quad bike and dog-less field, and we also saw the male Ring Ouzel back at Buttertubs Pass, and a very handsome Golden Plover in breeding plumage.

The bad side of the day was the weekend Dales motorbike boys roaring past overtaking on the brow of a hill or blind bends, and sometimes both. Then we met the three police cars, ambulance, scattered red motorcycle and parts and a shocked motorist, his car caved in on the driver's side.

No doubt the bike racers rumbled past blaming the car driver but sorry, we'd just had several miles on the race track trying to avoid the same outcome.

Hope he was okay, but also hope the sight taught those bikers a hard lesson.