The campervan was packed with food, fancy dress and bedding and ready to go to a festival the other weekend but Dave came down with a bug the day before we were due to set off. It was a huge disappointment but we made up for it with a last-minute trip to the Lakes the following weekend.

Inspired by John Townednd’s Blencathra feature on Countryfile I had Tweeted asking for for campsite and Blencathra walking route recommendations and Mark from Mark’s Walking Blog  replied with a pic of his camper pitched up with Blencathra in the background. He had stayed at Burns Farm only the weekend before and stated it was a decent campsite and in the ideal spot to get onto the mountain quickly.

@MissJTulip Burns Farm last weekend at the bottom of Blencathra pic.twitter.com/GdY4HUEnXB

— markswalkingblog (@markswalking) May 15, 2016

Christine from Dixe recommended ascending Blencathra via Hall’s Ridge which isn’t as dangerous as Sharp Edge.

It had been a couple of years since we had been to the Lakes and Blencathra was already on my bucket list. Well, all the mountains in the Lakes are! We’d been up Helvelyn and Scafel but my weird desperation to get up big hills is a long-term condition and seeing Blencathra on the TV made my heart race with excitement.



It wasn’t until 4.25pm on the Friday of last week we made the decision to just get in the campervan and go. Dave was still at work so I ran around like a headless chicken gathering up maps and waterproofs and calling the campsite to check they had space for us if we arrived late. By 8pm we were on our way.



We awoke on the Saturday morning to dark cloud and rain covering the mountains around us but the weather was due to clear up that afternoon. After a hearty fry-up we set off walking to the quaint village of Threlkeld and up onto Hall’s Ridge. The rain had sodden our coats which I had treated with re-waterproofing stuff in the wash. It hadn’t worked.








By the time we reached the foot of the ridge the rain receded and the clouds lifted to reveal stunning views towards Keswick.

The accent was tough on our un-exercised legs but we took lots of breaks to enjoy the views and catch our breath. The earthy ground became rocky and the ridge narrowed as quickly as the wind picked up.





As I’ve grown older I have also grown more cautious. The sound of the wind and the feeling of it pushing my body was unnerving and I clung to the rocks on all fours like a sloth to a branch. Dave, on the other hand, is more goat-like and trotted over the rocks without fear.

The route wasn’t difficult but it did test my nerves a bit. The wind definitely made it more dramatic than it actually was!




We reached the top came quicker than I had anticipated but there wasn't much to see. We we’re surrounded by foggy cloud but I insisted we went slightly out of our way to chance getting a view of the tarn. Dave laughed at me. Understandable as we couldn’t see very far in front of us. “It will clear” I said confidently. “Just like it did when we reached the top of Lochnagar”.



And it sure did! Wow, what a view.








We huddled behind a rock to shelter from the noisy wind and tucked into our packed lunch while taking in the amazing views. I took the opportunity to test out the striking HydroFlask I had been sent to review. The choice was between filling it with hot chocolate or tea. Tea was victorious and was a good choice. Tea keep flask tea tasting good and to avoid having to carry milk separately, I always fill my flask with hot water and add the milk into the flask. Tea bags are carried separately in a small container meaning the perfect tea can be poured, even on the top of a mountain.



I LOVE the bright colour of the flask. The HydroFlask is available in loads of other bright colours, 3 different capacities and 2 different mouth sizes. This one is a ‘standard mouth’. Some may say it’s just a flask but I’m a sucker for aesthetically pleasing accessories; as long as they have a practical function. It’s an ‘Instagrammable’ item, don’t you agree? I love the photo of the bright flask against the natural earthy colours of the stone wall and Blencathra as its backdrop.

The website is pretty swish and, as a marketer, I love the design and copy throughout the website. It clearly explains why the HydroFlask isn’t just another flask due to its TempShield™ double wall.





The path along the back of the mountain was well-maintained and we ambled along taking in the 360 degree views.

The decent was gentle and by now the air was warm and the sun shone brightly.

A landed helicopter just ahead came into view and then spotted 15 or so people gathered close by. Many were wearing red so we concluded it was Mountain Rescue. We couldn't see what was going on so cautiously made our way down so as not to interfere.

We had hoped it was a demo or a training exercise but, on overhearing the group of walkers amongst the red-wearing team, we figured it was a real emergency. Later we read on the internet that it was 70+ year old man who had suffered a heart attack and the Mountain Rescue team saved his life using a defibrillator. Thankfully the man was located at the foot of the mountain, just a few hundred meters from the road, meaning the rescue team on the ground could get to him quickly. Considering the poor visibility we had experienced on the tops, it could have been a worse situation if the team had had to make their way up to the top on foot.




It was quite a sad end to the decent but we cheered ourselves up with beverage at the Horse and Farrier Inn bee garden in Threkeld. We supped our drinks in the warmth of the sun while peering up to mountain tracking the route we had taken.  Afterwards, we plodded back to the campsite to fall asleep in our camping chairs with a beer in the last of the evening's sun.  Perfect.

After a miserably cold and windy week the weather changed to what one would expect for this time of year; warm and still. The best thing about this time of year is that you can eat dinner and still have time to go for an evening walk before night falls.

We chose to walk by the river Derwent near the village of Bubwith, just a few miles from where we live. The river was calm and the water moved slowly and, at first, we feared the walk wouldn't surprise us with anything of interest.


The flood plains that were underwater for many months only drained a few weeks ago and now the land is lush and thriving with wildflowers.





In places, the footpath was bare of vegetation and the ground was cracked; something so easily overlooked, but I stopped to admire the contrasting textures and colours.


It was at that point the somewhat uneventful walk became full of wildlife. A pair of mute swans with last year's young gracefully floated along the river, arching their necks now and then to scoop some water with their bills.

A red shank announced its presence as it flew over our heads and out across the plains. A pair of curlew shortly followed, with their more whimsical call.


Then, we heard the star of the evening; a cuckoo! Only the third I have heard this year. 'Watch this' I said to partner, Dave, and step dad, Ian. I then mimicked the call of the cuckoo while looking out in the direction we heard the real bird call. In just moments we spotted him rise above the bushes way over the other side of the river and head towards where we stood. He landed in an oak on the opposite bank and called loudly in response to me. A few minutes later he took to the sky again, crossed the river some distance in front of us and carried on over the plains to the woodland beyond. I hope I didn't scare him away!

Many years ago I played the same game with a cuckoo who, after much confusion of where the 'other cuckoo' was, landed on a telegraph wire just a few meters above my head and spent 15 minutes peering down at me as I called to him. I wonder what he must have thought!


The light was disappearing and I looked out across the plain to see two small dots in the distance. "Deer", I said. We looked through the binoculars to see two deer grazing maybe a mile away. Thankfully Paddy couldn't see them from his weight or we would have had to put his lead back on.

It was a real treat to see a cuckoo. We wondered whether anyone was in the bird hide on the other bank eagerly trying to spot the two cuckoos that were battling it out. We sniggered at the thought and I danced around abit pretending to be a cuckoo in flight.



All in all, a perfect way to spend a June evening for 30DaysWild.

Have you called a cuckoo before?

How often do we all here that we should dedicate more time and effort to care for our own minds and bodies?

ALL the time, right?

Well, I’m on a mission to be healthier and more active, but in a sustainable manor. I know I’d fail to keep up any short-term methods such as the 30 Day Shred or a boot camp. Finding a routine I can stick to every day, ideally for the rest of my life, is my goal.

When I went self-employed last year I looked forward to spending more time on ‘me’. Without the time-sapping commute to work and a restricted timetable, I imagined myself jogging every day, eating healthy lunches, snacking less and bouncing out of bed every morning at 6am to do 60 squats and 30 lunges.

I think I set my expectations of myself a bit too high, but I have managed to keep up with a new routine.

I’ve been running two to three times a week and going to LionFitness Metafit class once a week, going on long walks in the hills in evenings, eating healthy lunches and snacking a lot less than I did do when I worked in an office with other people. Even though I haven’t noticed a difference in my weight, muffin tops or legs, I have noticed a big difference in my energy levels. RESULT!

I can honestly say that running first thing in a morning does wonders to your body; you feel more awake, your body feels energised and your mind feels stress-free and enthusiastic. It’s been the perfect way to start my working days. However, a couple of weeks ago my groin felt pulled and my knees started to ache. I’m genuinely terrified that one day my knees, which have always been a bit sore, will one day pack in and I won’t be able to hike and climb mountains. So I’ve stopped running the last few weeks just to give my knees some time to rest. Hopefully the problem wont persist.

One advantage my work commute gave me was the time to listen to Podcasts. Fitting them in now is somewhat harder, but running has provided the perfect opportunity to listen to my favourite shows. I’ve learnt so much about the benefits of mindfulness and other practices to improve health and wellbeing through listening to Podcasts such as Ted Hour and Note to Self (They are awesome- deffo give them I listen).

The digital revolution has opened up so many ways for people to improve their health; educational podcasts, personal monitoring devices such as the FitBit, sleep improvement apps, endless self-diagnostic websites, discreet postal medicine services such as Lloyds https://onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com and community Facebook groups. The diversity of services and innovations has definitely helped me to get better at ‘looking after me’.

How do you ‘look after you’? I’d love to hear about your methods and routine.

Discovering bird nests is one of my favourite spring past times and each year Ian, my step dad, and I seek out as many as we can in the wood. We have a good varitey of species nesting consistently each year, however many have escaped our eyes this year.

Here's a list of all the nests we have found this year followed by a list of bird species we typically find in the wood, but haven't found this year. Carefully sticking a camera close to a dark nest means the quality of the photo's aren't great but they give you an idea of where the nests are and what they look like.

Bird nests we have found this year

Great spotted woodpecker

 

The woodpeckers nest somewhere in the wood every year and this year we were treated to them nesting super-close to the house. The chicks are VERY noisy and call constantly throughout daylight hours. I shot some footage of their nest in a vlog a few weeks ago. The chicks are due to leave the nest any day now and are sticking their heads out to look at their new world.

Dunnock

 

Sadly one of the nests that failed this year. One day there were eggs, the nest there were none. Presumably it had been predated, possible by mice.

Wren

Wrens wrens; everywhere! A very common bird and I find many of their nests each year. This year one of the nests has been under the roof shingles by the front door at chest height. This means I’ve had a great view of the parent sitting on the nest right up until the chicks fledging.

 

 

Blue tit

We have several nest boxes around the wood, many of which are occupied by blue tits.

Great tit

If there haven’t been blue tits in a nest box, they have great tits instead. Look at these ones in the old canary house!

Stock dove

Two of the three owl boxes have stock doves nesting. I recorded some footage of their eggs in this vlog.

Wood pigeon

Stupid birds (actually clever) nesting low down and getting spooked every time I walk buy them. They are everywhere.

Long tailed tit

One of my favourite nests; a dome made from moss with a small hole and lined with soft feather. The one I found this year later got scratted out of the gause bush by a predator.

Robin

We first nest of robins was found in a fern on the ground. They successfully fledged. Look at the video to see the babies. Ian found another nest in his dust extractor for the log splitter. He didn’t realise until after he had moved the extractor to a different location for 2 hours then moved it back, then to realise it had small chicks in it! Thankfully the parents returned.

Tawny Owl

Oure resident brown owls have nested every year (apart from last year) over the last decade in one of the three owl boxes Ian put up. This year they nested in the left box. I climbed up to sneak a peek at the chicks in this vlog.

Treecreeper

I have a love/hate relationship with treecreepers. I love them because they are interesting birds that hop up tree trunks yet hate them because they have been keeping me awake since 4am for many years. 2-3 pairs nest under the oak roof shingles each year. We’re so lucky to have these often-secretive bird come so close. They happily land on the shingles just above our heads and make their way under them into their nests.

Ian and Dave spotted a fledgling fop onto the deck then make its way up the side of the house, wide legged like John Wayne.

Spotted flycatcher

For the second year they have nested in the eaves of the house. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen eggs or chicks this year so think they may have moved location.

Magpie

The maggies nested about 20 metres from the house but I think the chicks didn’t fledge. I often saw crows attacking the nest, then one day heard a maggie chick calling in distress and ran over. A chick fell from the nest in front of me. I picked it up to see it had a damaged wing and some blood. Unfortunately, he died the next day. Either a predator attacked him or possible his parents thought he was ill and booted him out.

Song thrush

Each year the thrushes nest in the most inconvenient of places; in machinery in use, vehicles, in wood piles- you name it, they nest there! This year was no different. A pair nested in a wood pile but unfortunately something took the eggs. Surprisingly, it’s the only thrush nest we have found this year. Very strange!

Blackbird

We normally find loads of blackbirds nesting in the wood but this year I’ve only found one empty nest. They will be somewhere though as there are many adults and juveniles around.

Moorhen

Due to the crazy amount of rain at the start of the year, the water table has remained quite high meaning the seasonal pond has stayed full over spring. I’ve watched the moorhens swimming around the pond each day but they suddenly disappeared. After searching for some time I found a moorhen nest but no parent or eggs. Maybe they were put off by the lowering water table. Maybe the fox filled his belly.

Mallard

Like the moorhens, the ducks were attracted to the pond this spring. I watched a pair of mallards court from my window but spent many walks trying to find their nest. Eventually I found the nest in the middle of the pond on the upturned root of a tree fallen many years ago. She was perfectly camouflaged. It was only a ray of light shining between the trees and directly onto her back that gave her away.

Sadly, I found the remains of Mr duck close by the pond a few days later. Presumably a fox had eaten him.

Each day I checked in on the duck and each day the water level dropped. To my delight, the chicks hatched and I watched mother lead them away into the undergrowth. I haven’t seen them since and hope they are safe.

 

Crow

Hated by many, but loved by me. At least one pair of crows nest somewhere in the wood each year.

Bird nests we have found in previous years

Black cap

We’ve seen a couple of pairs around all spring but failed to find their nest. Unfortunately, I found one the females dead on the deck a few weeks ago. Presumably she flew into the window. Rather upsetting.

Last year a pair nested just outside the office window.

Marsh tit

Last year we watched the marsh tits raise their young in the natural hole of a log placed in the garden on the ground.

Buzzard

 

Last year we found the buzzards nesting in the other bit of the wood. They are noisy beasts and spend many hour circling above the wood and they often swood through the trees.We think they are nesting in another woodland a couple of fields away thus year.

Sparrowhawk

Last year they nested about 70 metres from the house. I loved watching the young flitting tree to tree when they left the nest. Magnus the magpie didn’t approve of the juveniles sitting in the trees above his aviary

Chaffinch

Normally one of the first nests we find but haven’t seen any this year. There are several chaffinches around though

Bullfinch

They’ve nested in the single conifer in front of the house this year but haven’t seen them since early spring. Presumably they have moved to a different area to nest.

Goldfinch

No sign of their nests this year.

In all, it hasn't been the best year interms of the veriety of spefcies or the number of nests disocovered. This could be down to the cold and wet start to spring which has impacted farming and plant growth in general.