Reeling in the mist

Reeling Grasshopper Warbler

When I looked out of the window this morning  I could see it was going to be one of those very beautiful  photogenic dawns. I rushed out of the house with the intention of taking some landcapes. With the right combination of morning light and mist, the view from the Beacon towards Winter Hill, can be stunning. The features in the landscape such as trees, hillocks and windmills, sometimes look as if they're floating in a sea of cloud. And on special mornings there's a beautiful washes-of-colour, layered effect like a watercolour painting...

..like this, which I took earlier in the year

I got the camera and tripod in place, thinking that getting some great shots is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel (or falling off a log if you prefer). Almost inevitably I'd left the memory  card at home.

So, maybe just very slightly ignoring a couple of the lessons I'd learnt at a recent Speed Awareness Course (so that'll be sticking to the speed limit then - ed), I drove back to get the card. Of course, when I got back the 'sweet-spot' that you get with the perfect light/mist combination has passed.

Still it was a fabulous morning to be out.  A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling away very persistenly. A female (I assume) was giving alarm calls nearby - they were clearly still nesting. I later saw another pair seen which looked like they might still be nesting

I saw five Grasshopper Warblers in total - I don't think I've ever seen that many in one day (as opposed to just hearing them).  I'd have expected a lot of them to have departed by now. Judging by the amount of scolding I received from Whitethroats and Blackcaps there's still some Warbler-raising to be done.

A Crossbill flew over calling. One of several I've seen recently. A young Buzzard was doing its 'creaky gate' impersonation. Coots were feeding young from their third brood at the lake where a Kingfisher glinted in the morning sunshine.

Looking Towards Winter Hill

The Dilapidated St Joseph's College from the Beacon, and the Pennine foothills beyond the sea of mist. The structure on the left is the former observatory Get this