Thursday 8 September 2022


In memory of Bryan John Yorke (3rd January 1948 - 28th May 2022).

 A hugely knowledgeable but utterly humble man. He loved this area, and enjoyed sharing its natural riches through his informative and delightful blogs. 

They will continue to be available, for reference and discovery.

Thank you, Bryan, for your warmth, wisdom, and wit.


Thursday 8 April 2021

The Frustrations of a Vismigger

 


"The Frustrations of a Vismigger"
which shall contain plenty of - Is it this?, or is it that?
Is wind too strong, is it in wrong direction,
Is it too hot today, is it too cold today,
Is it too clear with lots of blue sky showing,
Are they too high like little specks,
Are they too low and fall into background
the scenario's are endless!
What's good one day, is not so good another day
there is never two days alike or nearly never should I say...
Shall I retitle it to read:
Vismigger Intoxicated by the obsession of trying
to work out the impossible! 

Monday 29 March 2021

29th March 2021

 

Like this morning whilst waiting for the birds to pass, you sat there doodling and thinking, and we all know that thinking can be so dangerous so they say, but who is "they". I prefer my own boggling (thats if it is a real word!). Maybe a better word would be randomize! It is without doubt (for me) the best inspiration time! but inspiration for what!





Monday 15 March 2021

Skylark versus Merlin - Skylark evades capture, How?

 



It came back to me this morning whilst out vismigging, remembering one special occasion down in the Grane Valley, Haslingden, East Lancs. Probably from around the mid 1980s, I would set up my old bivvy to keep out the winds and would sit in the entrance looking out, it was quite remote were I did vismig in fields with little conifer plantations, occasionally a noisy car would pull up on the nearby main road and guys would jump out and go in search of magic mushrooms which they successfully found. But that is not really the point of my memories. They are from that day when I saw and heard a Skylark in much distress has it was being chased along the moorland edge by a Merlin, I watched them for about 100 yards and the Skylark suddenly went into a ascend in short spirals, just like a Skylark does, the Merlin also tried to catch the bird, but his spirals were far to large and could not gain the same speed of ascend, and soon the Merlin gave up whilst the Skylark lived to see another day. How clever nature can be.

Thursday 4 March 2021

Cissy Green Pie

 




Saturday morning blues! nah cross that out and put "Saturday Morning Greens"!
cos thats what I'm thinking right now! I am just about to play Roy Orbison's
lovely song "I drove all night to get to you" ..........
"Nem Mind those mince pies!,
Wer coming down to Hassy for a proper pie.
A Cissy Green by name with plenty of ouzing gravy,
One's not enough, cos it's a real treet,
For folk like us that live out in sticks (or watter)
Christmas would never bi same without a Cissy! (or two).......
Can't wait........ God bless Hassy and bless Cissy TWOO!


(Sat 19th Dec 2015)

Wednesday 3 March 2021

Mollie the Scollie on the first day of Spring (1st March 2021)

 






Asplenium scolopendrium (Harts Tongue Fern) Dalton Crags 28th Feb 2021

"I climbed up to see Mollie the Scollie,
with her little nest of pearls,
who's always no.1 and cannot
wait to tell you its the first day of spring!
Ding a ling a ling.
She will unravel and stretch 
so she can be told

a "Harts Tongue" to behold"

Saturday 13 February 2021

Typhoons and Sir Lancelot (12th Feb 2021)

 


"So quiet today, too quiet at times 
but the birds will sing with joy soon,
like yesterday....
just now silence is not golden!
Whilst overhead....
the roar and boom of a typhoon
Gone soon, bye bye"



Known as Sir Lancelot, he stands proud just after you enter Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT) from the Slape Lane entrance. He is very prominent and he looks old, but also looks like he is still very sharp and will have fought hard in his time with his runnelled gains. I did not want to wake him from his slumber so I crept silently past him in "mute" mode. 


"Mouth is mute
Rest of body is as mute as possible
Feet struggles but as mute as can be
With the lightest creeping tred
Now past without his notice,
Sneaky did it!
Carbon scores yet again"


Wednesday 10 February 2021

INTERTWINED (9 Feb 2021)

 


This natural artwork I found on Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal and close to "Earthstars"
on 9th February 2021.


"Arms and legs,
and secrets revealed"



I saw old established Ivy vines climbing the tree from all directions. I took this photo purely to demonstrate how prolific the vines had become, It was not until later when I got home and put it on the computer that I realized just to how revealing the art-work had become in ones mind. I have called it

"Intertwined"

Thursday 21 January 2021

Redwing in the Crags, Time is When, Nature awareness! Returning to their roost.

 


Redwing in the Crags
 (being disturbed they moved across - not altogether but in singles and pairs)

I heard the rare Redwing roost call,
In the Crags, without bags (of them)
No! Number 15 theres been,
munching the reds so bright, sunlight,
Still going past maybe now twenty
made the entry and crossed the sunlitten blue sky,
bye bye!

Time is when! (opinion formed on half a tale)

They only have time to listen to some of a story
and from that their opinion is formed,
It doesnt matter who reads it,
What matters is they find it!
to read, the seed...

Nature awareness!

Learning whats about
will save you the doubt..

Returning to their roost – 
(1st Dec 2019 Holme Stinted Pastures) 
The closing hour at Holme Stints, 
Hundreds of mixed thrushes gorging themselves,
With red berries filling their crops! Cackling
Of Blackbirds, quiet zits from Songies,
Chaks from Fieldies, and many see-ips
From the reds, before their beds.
The roost got a boost and weighed more tonight!
Some went North West to Newbiggin, but
Most went South to the nearby Crags.
Restless they will be, for another hour after tea.
About three thirty the sky got dirty with parties
and scores of Shebbies (Starlings), straight through they went,
Without being bent, to a dropping down sun in their West.

Saturday 9 January 2021

January Jollies (9th Jan 2021)

 


January jollies…..(in 100 yards and less than 1 hour – close to home and I guess that’s what they call local!)

 

It was about three weeks ago I saw my first snowdrops,

I am enjoying the first posy of primroses that came to our garden four weeks ago.

So strong they push off this freeze with just a frown whilst looking down.

Some Polypodies are regular and normal and ordinary, but some,

are big show offs today! with their halo freeze and shivering need.

Freezing colours of yellows and reds and pinks which are hard to knock out!

Campions are champions, Herb Rob does not sob, whilst Nipplewort hangs on.

Bridleway trees are sapped of their blood, just where they are stood,

With listening lots of brown Jelly Ears catching all, each sound that’s around.

the floor bears old earthstars still doing their best to puff and pant and smoke.

Christmas has gone, but Turkey Tails hang on.

Shi-shi-shi- vering now! Going home, exercise done, mind in prose mood.

9th January 2021.


Tuesday 29 December 2020

Robins nook on Hutton Roof (29th December 2020)

 

This is a photo of my friend at Hutton Roof Nook....

This was a lovely experience I had yesterday whilst checking out some Polypodium cambricum (Southern Polypody) and when I made a very special friend, who just kept hanging about to attract my attention, so close to arms length. Very very special.

Robin’s Nook on Hutton Roof

A friend came by this morning,

With a presence of daring love,

From arm’s length he spoke,

In a language of subdued ticks,

He moved from rock to tree,

And then back again to stand in a carpet of moss,

He never stood still for more than 5 seconds,

Then looked up with a winking eye

He seemed to want my attention,

Just has he did on my visit last week.

I think he would have wanted to play,

And play all day I guess, it was so special,

Of a beautiful experience that!

Made me enter into conversation with him,

Though I guess we were both disadvantaged,

But we both said our love in word or ticks

I guess one needs to earn his keep!

The little chap kept going to ground,

And pulling up small worms to his delight.

Then the penny dropped! 

Whilst he kept me moving around,

I stirred up the old rotting leaf bedding beneath my feet,

Whilst he nibbled on the rewards!

And I think this may have made me his best friend!

And for me he was mine.

That little cove area is now a special place,

Which I call Robins nook.

 

29th December 2020

 

 


Sunday 7 June 2020

It's a bonny place so knock it daaern


It's a bonny place so knock it daaern"

It's a bonny place so knock it daaern,
So all can watch with a drooping fraaern.
There's tons and tons of Hassy's best,
Millstone grit can't be seen to rest!
Knock it daaern, knock it daaern!

Vicarage that stood up on that bonk!

In its shadow was Martins Bank,
Grammar School was a buried Road,
Good few ton did mek that load,
Knock it daaern, knock it daaern!

Major, would turn over in his grave if he knew,

What had happened to his Highfield view,
Lions at Carter Place have gone with rest,
We're left with a porch without its crest,
Knock it daaern, knock it daaern!

Town Hall! Council will have a Ball,

With all thi hard earned cash,
So lets get shut for once and for all,
Before they have their Annual bash.
Knock it daaern, knock it daaern!

Its only a building is yon Con Club,

For some I suppose it was their hub,
Another fine place was Workhouse past,
Who needs a hospital on yon hill,
Knock it daaern, knock it daaern!

And now another bites the dust,
Which once a brewer’s dream abode,
And later a place where prayers were said,
And now all but memories are read,
Knock it daaern, knock it daaern.

Even the "mighty" can fall but we'll not have a ball!

Salem, Trinity, Primitive and John Wesley preached!
but all went down with a "bang"
and no more did the bells ring or did the people sing"
 so Knock it daaern, knock it daaern!

Nah! don't let it stand still,

Or tha'll get a bill,
Knock it daaern!

(Poem by Bryan Yorke - written 25th Feb 2015 with later additions)

The Vicarage - St. James Church (Photo by: unknown)

Martins Bank on Regent St (Photo by unknown)
Grammar School (Photo by: Clifford Hargreaves)

Highfield off Grane Road (Photo by unknown)
Carter Place Hall (Photo unknown)


Haslingden Municipal Buildings (lets call it Town Hall)

Con Club (Photo: Fred Scott)

Workhouse then Hospital (Photo by: Bryan Yorke) 



St. Veronicas which earlier was the home to Cpt. Baxter
(Photo: B. Yorke 2003)



Salem Chapel was on Regent St opp John St 



Trinity Baptist c1890


Primitive Methodist - Grane Road
Photo: Kindly shared by Chris Kirby



Wesley Chapel, Blackburn Rd on corner with Hud Hey

*************************************************************

Friday 24 April 2020

No Ring Ouzel to Bamboozle





23rd April 2020 - Farleton
(No Ring Ouzels on show, but 10 Wheatear, 9 Skylarks, 2 Tree Pipits, Linnets and Meadow Pipits



"No Ring Ouzel to bamboozle
on my lonely stride,
Aside, though ten wee tears of joy
and Larks ascending high into the sky
My oh! my......."

Thursday 9 April 2020

Sir Lancelot (8th April 2020)



Sir Lancelot  -  (8th April 2020)

Exercise by Lancelot's side
without a sword of fire!
for here lies the best, the very best,
his offering lands to bear.....

Which today my applaud, dear Lance,
with Clarky and Miss A Note too,
Your knights have travelled the night,
to seven as bold as told.

(7 Chiffchaffs arrived recently)

And now a confusion of Warblers sing,
with four to heed the chase in conifer flutter and craze,
As bold as will our Sylviidae to wrench another fall,
With six as plaintive a bouquet can be.

(6 Willow Warblers arrived recently)

Blazen and bold the quickening Blackcap told,
Of his travels from distant lands
His search to find his Browncap mate,
in haste, for his race is on

(2 Blackcaps arrived recently)

Other Knights were gathering all around
to prepare their battles with coloured beauty (pageant),
with lots of elevated cascading chase,
included Clan Peacock, Smalltort, and,
old battle torn Comma as well.

(Peacock (3), Small Tortoiseshell (3) and Comma (3)

Within old Pickles, his floor will soon Bluebell,
along with Anemone and Woodruff, but today
belonged to Paris with such "Herb" around...
Her compatriate of Moschatel sits close as well...

(Herb Paris)

In other conquering fields nearby,
were Primrose shone her best,
And just occasional Bluebell,
and Stitchwort came with the rest.

Ramsons (soon), Cinquefoil (rosette),
Dark Red Helleborine Orchid (Rosette)


and more dear Sir.........

Monday 6 April 2020

The Frustrations of a Mipit Vismigger!



The Frustrations of a Mipit Vismigger (5/4/2020)

Mipits, I might as well give up on forecasting!
today South West and nowt doing,
other than 16 hardliners who just could not say no
Wonder what was blocking them?
I'll bet winds too strong today, Nah!
But they should be OK on a 15-25mph SW,
GOT IT! they just do not like the cold (can't blame them),
and by the left it was very very cold with that wind today...
Did'nt bother Swallers......

I am going to write a piece, called!
"The Frustrations of a Mipit Vismigger"
which shall contain plenty of - Is it this?, or is it that?
Is wind too strong, is it in wrong direction,
Is it too hot today, is it too cold today,
Is it too clear with lots of blue sky showing,
Are they too high like little specks,
Are they too low and fall into background
the scenario's are endless!
What's good one day, is not so good another day
there is never two days alike or nearly never should I say...
Shall I retitle it to read:
Vismigger Intoxicated by the obsession of trying
to work out the impossible! 

Mipits high, Mipits low and Mipits floored (5th Apr 2020)



Mipits high, Mipits low and Mipits floored!

A said a LITTLE BIT more wind will do, BUT.....             
Winded by a nice 6mph (OK) to a superfresh 30mph (ESE)
First they flew high (75ft), then they flew low (40ft),
But when wind got up it floored them,
Literally, as in flying just above the soil,
Time for eyes to hedgerows or you miss them!
Showing South West tomorrow, nah then that will do.
I've plenty of room in notebook! 

Sunday 5 April 2020

Mipits won't stir on a Southerly (4th April 2020)



Mipits won't stir on a Southerly (4th April 2020)
This is yesterdays tomorrow and,
Whats all fuss abaart!
Never been good them straight Southerlies,
Tha needs edge on it! to be any good..
You know, a bit of South East
or for that matter a bit of South West will do better!
Thi all thought Mipits would stir today,
Not on your Nellie! thas no chance,
fur when thi do, I'll do a dance....

Friday 3 April 2020

Meadow Pipits (3rd April 2010)



Meadow Pipits (3rd April 2010)

Wow it was all systems go, but so high,
Most of the little beauties were so difficult to find,
they were high, as in cloud base, high as in a speck,
Wondered how many I had missed? lots!
Every midge on the planet was trying to join them,
So one speck for the midge and one speck for the mipit,
It was painstaking, neckbraking delightful hard work!
Tomorrow looks good, but a little more wind please,
Lets bring them down a peg or two,
But seriously, out will do!

Sunday 29 March 2020

St. Marks Fly




Black dangling legs, 
your one of them black thingys
There's thousands of you,
for me your the poor man's Mayfly.
Your like a saucer, 
I mean a flying saucer,
 you hover a bit,
then shoot off with alien speed...........
 thank you.......... 
 

A Bag of Jolly Mixture



The sounds are beautifully mixed,
just like a "bag of allsorts".
Blackcaps, Browncaps and Garden Warblers.
Dunnocks trilling and dare I say a possible
Wood Warbler trill or coin spinning sound,
With "throstles" joining in with,
their own sounds to add to the "delight",
now Bullfinch piping and Wrens trilling.
Willow's crescendos, and Chiffs are Chaffing,
A mixture please! Yes a bag of "Jolly Mixture",

Monday 9 December 2019

Paradise Lost (Paradise Terrace), Haslingden


"Paradise Lost"

One penny banger, or a three penny jump jack or pinwheel,
or maybe the funds only reached a liquorice stick or bubblegum card,
I'd get from dear old Harold, whilst on my way to school,
His shop was a toffee "Paradise" next to a place called Ranters Row,

We would play lots of football whilst up in Jimmy's yard, just as kids do,
We must have given the driver a shock when our ball went over the wall,
We would shout out loud to nearly a scream "Harold" "Harold"
He'd come from shop and kick that ball with accuracy of a good "rugby try".

School done, lets run the landing, and off we'd go and run around Back Paradise,
It seemed to always annoy someone who come out and shout with clout "clear off"
But that made it all the more exciting, as we nervously brushed their way,
Scampering over that scary drop below, with eyes to the front and pray!

I guess we sounded loud like squabbling kids do - just like generations before us,
has we ran down "Little Prinny Hill" and over steam smoking railway bridge,
then sharp right and then sharp left, past all the chuckling hens within their pens,
We'd reach "Jimmies" where all hell broke lose to be first to kick the ball as I recall.

Bryan Yorke - January 2017

Monday 2 December 2019

Redwing In the Crags/Time is When/Nature Awareness/and Returning to their Roost



Redwing in the Crags (being disturbed they moved across - not altogether but in singles and pairs)

I heard the rare Redwing roost call,
In the Crags, without bags
No! Number 15 theres been,
munching the reds so bright, sunlight,
Still going past maybe now twenty
made the entry and crossed the sunlitten blue sky,
bye bye!

Time is when! (opinion formed on half a tale)

They only have time to listen to some of a story
and from that their opinion is formed,
It doesnt matter who reads it,
What matters is they find it!
to read, the seed...

Nature awareness!

Learning whats about
will save you the doubt..


Returning to their roost – (1st Dec 2019 Holme Stinted Pastures)


The closing hour at Holme Stints,
Hundreds of mixed thrushes gorging themselves,
With red berries filling their crops! Cackling
Of Blackbirds, quiet zits from Songies,
Chaks from Fieldies, and many see-ips
From the reds, before their beds.
The roost got a boost and weighed more tonight!
Some went off North to Newbiggin, but
Most went to the nearby Crags.
Restless they will be, for another hour after tea.

About three thirty the sky got dirty with parties
and scores of Shebbies (Starlings), 
straight through they went,
Without being bent,
 to a dropping down sun in their West.

Thursday 14 February 2019

6th Feb 2017 - Dalton Crags (Lark ascending was not to be)



Monday 6th February 2017 - Dalton Crags 0900hrs to 1000hrs

Lark ascending was not to be
I watched and I listened for twenty three
Perhaps too cold to show so bold
Another day's fine to catch thy gold.

Five "tuck, buzzing" Hawfinches squabbled past,
they flew over "Beeches" without a brook,
So close above me with a silhouette look,
Which gave me a "beam" so good!

Mistle "whistled" like a distant Wigeon's woe,
Quiet, then loud he scratchily tried to sing,
Telling the World that Dalton is MY patch,
And to show another that he was THE catch...

Another strange call from a Tit so great!
Hundred's of songs for hundreds of hours,
This one you know, but this one you don't
I've caught you out again, thinking I was rare.

They piped away so pitiful in a sort of crying "peeu",
Much bullish colour and a white flashing bum,
A bird I like to whistle to, who usually sings a reply,
A regular around the Crags, our dear Dalton Crags.

(Activity on 6th Feb 2017 - Bryan Yorke)



Wednesday 17 October 2018

Pheasants run off in a straight line



Talking in recent days to a Shooter before his first of the year pheasant shoot this coming Saturday)

The pleasant pheasant or pheasants are always stood in the lane,
Some are noisy and rambling amongst the fodder beet
They appear to give the impression they are so stupid!
But so soon they learn to recognise things, like -
the smell of the Gun, and car doors banging simultaneously,
" They are the sounds of the shooters coming after us they say" 
so on hearing this will try to skulk off in a orderly fashion one behind the other,
just like you see a train and its carriages,
The searching dogs will disturb your peace and quiet and make you lift to the skies
Just before all hell lets loose.....

16th October 2018

Turdus reflections - East Lancs 1980s - South West migration



(Memories of a past Thrush Vismig Day in East Lancs 1980s):

Look up into the sky, high and sometimes higher (binoculars)
To see the black dots, then look further to see the smaller dots
of Thrushes bounding South West between the broken clouds. 
In stream after stream and all on one line, and too high to count, 
How many hundreds or maybe thousands there could have been.

(turdus reflections 16 Oct 2018)

Sunday 9 September 2018

More archived sketches


I was so intrigued by the "rare" species this Peregrine was getting eg: Corncrake
Leaches Petrol and even a Swift - and could not resist doing it for the Peregrine Group
down in Bristol. I was contacted by the Aylesbury group who also have a Peregrine on
their town hall and they asked if I could do one for them has well, so they sent me
the photos and the species list etc - the Aylesbury one is shown further down the page.



This was done for my Nature Blog to show just were the corridors are in Burton In Kendal
for the passage of Chaffinch, Swallows and Meadow Pipits.



I did this has a "Diary Page" for Saturday March 2nd 2013, when we had a day out in
Grasmere. We always have a drink and a butty by the side of Williams grave followed
by a visit to the Church for prayers, before setting out on the "Coffin Route" which takes
in two of William's houses eg: Dove Cottage and later Rydal Mount. Before finishing
off in the beautiful little Church built by the "Le Fleming" family.



I started doing a month by month calendar of local birds, mammals and
flowers seen locally during the month of February, but thats as far as it
got and have not yet done any of the other months


Another diary page for Friday April 12th 2013 in Dalton Crags and Hutton Roof


I was asked if the "National Forum for Biological Recording" if they could use this one for the front page of newsletter magazine which you can see the finished product below







This was done to try and show one or two differences in regards to the Wheatear. The Eurasian Wheatear versus the Greenland Wheatear



This was to use in my bird migration presentation
it always brings a great light hearted response



Records of the Greenland Wheatear that always passes through Hutton Roof and other areas like on this photo which can even be fields along the side of the Canal near Holme.



This sketch was photographed and then used on the "Large Screen Banners" for Natural History events for the Tullie House Museum in Carlisle.  I have a photo of the banner in situ which you can see below (Click over to enlarge) also you can see my smoked sunbeam photo at the bottom.

This is regularly used at the entrance to the Tullie House Museum, Carlisle

CBDC enjoying a well deserved ice cream at the Westmorland County Show. It shows
the banners in situ here as well



Another of my diary records

I was recording a "outstanding" movement of Meadow Pipits from behind
Kelker and moving South over Hutton Roof - decided to record in this sketch



More or less self explanatory- Kept being turned back on account of snow blizzards
and bet they got fed up of this - it just kept on happening


Another sketch showing the directions the birds take over Hutton Roof on
their migration exit usually to the South/South East - but not all!!


I just had to do this one.  I was up on Hutton Roof and a large skein went South West overhead
so I thought I would let this guy know they were on their way to his patch down in Bare.  And
the next words he said "what is the ETA" so I said 10-15 mins. Could not wait to get
home to sketch this one showing the "air traffic controller"


For the first time (for me) we were witnessing two Great Grey Shrikes
on Hutton Roof (2015) and I noticed at times there was great
rivalry between them, so I thought I would do this little sketch
showing  "subordinate" and dominance behaviour.


The Shrike impales his prey in such a delicate fashion and is known as the "butcher bird"
I watched as he lay the vole with such intricacy in a tangled jungle of prickly hawthorns.  You
would say just by looking it was totally impossible for him to do that but he did it without problem.
Also this is a little cracker of a sketch for warm ups in presentations
because I show this first of all which usually brings a chuckle or two from the audience
 before I show I show them the real thing (see next photo)





This is yet another of my diary sketches, showing some detail of a Stonechat which was overwintering on Dalton Crags, and also showing Ravens mobbing a passing Red Kite,
and also showing the directions of the Fieldfare and Redwing passage (19th October 2013)


This is one of my older sketches, which I can still laugh at and brings quite a "chuckle" from the audiences when I tell them that the "pyramid looking hill" in the background is supposted to
represent "Ingleborough" in Yorkshire and alsways check to see they have spotted the Rarer Red Rumped Swallow.


Again this is a comical sketch for the presentations.  It shows three different Swift
breeding sites in our village of Burton In Kendal. The top one is saying "The Manor Sounds important to me (and he lives in the Manor House) and the one in the middle with the crown
on his head is saying "I am really special because I come from Royal Stock" he lives in
the Royal Hotel "Cottage".  And the one at the bottom on the left is saying "Well maybe! but I am the Cock in "my" yard.  He lives in "Cocking Yard".



I always record our Swift nights when we met each Thursday evening. But in the earlier days up to about 2016 I would always illustrate them as above ready for display on the "Burton Swifts"
website the following day.



Another diary page for February 20th 2013 to show that Woodcock were being observed
on Hutton Roof - continentals sheltering up for the winter months. Also the start of the
Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming away. The rare Daphne Mezereone starts to come out and those nasty deer ticks will still grab you even in the colder February days.  Wal (Cumbria Wildlife Warden) with the chain saw in his hand ready to do some coppicing with the volunteers. So you can see it tells a lot in this little picture.


Another from the "Swift Nights" recording from 11th June 2015



I enjoyed this, I was walking through Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT) when I heard this trimphone calling, just like the old trimphones from the 1960s, but it was around 2012.  Sure enough it was a Song Thrush enjoying himself, from the uppermost of the tree.  I thought to myself at the time he must be a old bird (about 50 years old!!) so I wonder if some of these things are passed down to future generations. 


This is a record of a true story and brings a lot of laughter from the audiences at my bird presentations. And basically what it is my daughters mariage day, and I am saying to myself "why do they get married in October" the best birding days going! So that morning I stopped out quite late doing my Counts of Fieldfare and Redwing and I think daughter may well have been on pins as to whether I was going to get there on time or not.



You can more or less set your clock with the return of the Whoopers! its usually around the third week in March when you have every chance of seeing birds coming back through and heading back to Iceland.


This is the one I did for the guys at Aylesbury for their web site or magazine, not sure which now, but after seeing the Bristol one I did they requested for me to do this one for them, so they sent in a photo of the building the bird was nesting on, I think it was the Town Hall.  I needed to change the victim species over on the menu list to incorporate what these birds were regularly feeding on. 


Old Blacksmith Bert Marsden, as I could picture him from the 50s/60s, we did not have any photos for the blog and though maybe this would suffice till we hopefully get a photo in the future. 


Another popular one for the bird presentations, showing a vismiger in bed having overlaid instead of being up with the birds at first light (6am in most cases) he is dreaming about it all. It highlights that this sort of thing is not on, if you want to be a successful vismigger.  On the presentations after a few seconds I set of a "alarm clock" to try and tell the guy to "wake up".  


I wanted a bonfire picture with the "guy fawkes" on top. It was for the blog to record just how good the bonfires were when we were kids, with carved out faces in turnips on strings with small candles in them, and Mrs. Careys bonfire toffee! (fantastic), also later on spuds cooked from the bonfire. Our fireworks were tame them days I suppose compared to today. We had bangers, jumpjacks, roman candles and sparklers.


Just another diary page from the Swift Night recording on 5th June 2015



Just another diary page from the Swift Night recording on 19th May 2016



I recorded most of the Chiffchaffs in and around Burton and Hutton Roof, and got familiar with them all and gave them names in most cases relating them to their particular geographical location, but there were odd ones called "Miss A Note" and "Speedy" because they had a story to tell and that what gets aired on the bird presentations. 


They keep going on about Hawfinches at Sizergh and Ospreys near Keswick and guess what? the 555 bus stops right outside of my house and I can use my bus pass to get to these fabulous places.


Since leaving Lancashire and coming up to Cumbria (or maybe I should say Westmorland), we sometimes get so much water coming down that it never surprises me to find a new tarn where the day before it was just a field!!


Saw this a couple of years ago, just has I passed the village of Holme on my way to Milnthorpe and coming from the opposite side of the road to me there were this small party group of 5 stoats running in the verge, I presume they would have shortly entered the field via the large hedges.  I checked it out and they call a large party of Stotes a "Caravan of Stoats"


I wanted a sketch of Carter Place Hall for one of the blogs, a place were we occasionally played when we where kids



This is the area where I watch birds migrating from whilst they go overhead during the Autumn months. I am there most mornings - where the red dots show.  I get thousands of Chaffinch going through this particular route and its about 20 minutes walk from our house. 


Another one of my vismig maps showing how the wind was reacting on the 9th October 2012  I try and commemorate a sketch every year on my late dads birthday. 


This one brings a laugh on presentations, I did it after a vismig session down at Hunting Hill in Carnforth, and the lambs were tugging at my haversack to try and get at my butties.  But that was just one vismig experience, I have had the police stop me a couple of times (cos its early morning and residents were wondering what I was up to!, I have had dogs use my leg has a toilet, and found myself once watching from in a field and all of a sudden I was surrounded by a group of chunky sheep, never gave it a thought at first - just thought wow these just were quality ews with plenty of weight to them, never at first thinking, but could see they were not scared and appeared cheeky, so I checked out the "under carriage" and soon realized I was in trouble, so gingerly just steady paces backwards to the stile, whilst never taking my eyes off them. 


I have been so lucky on two occasions to witness "A confusion of Willow Warblers", one time on the Lancaster Canal and another time at Haweswater near Leighton Moss. So it was another one for the blog and I also went on to do the following poem, which has had so many positive comments.

WILLOW WARBLERS – COLLECTIVES

Flying in the dark through a moonlit sky,
Falling from high like little angels,
Floating down on a wavering leaf,
The “confusion” has now begun.
Our dear little Willow Warbler

Daytime closed you was not seen,
Whilst morning wakes your plenty,
So tread so soft our leaf explorer,
A “bouquet” of special prize to us,
Our dear little Willow Warbler

Your music is a descending tale,
Which finish the year “hou whit”,
A choir of pairs sings thy will,
A “Fall” would be a lot of thee,
Our dear little Willow Warbler

Sylvia’s hand of lucid intricacy
You thread that weave so delicately,
To house and raise a splendid cast,
It’s a start to a “Wrench” fulfilled
Our dear little Willow Warbler

Bryan Yorke - 2015


Another sketch used in presentations - shows a egg talking to its mother and asking that it leaves clear instructions of how to get back to Africa.  I often wonder when the parent leaves in Mid June for its long journey back to Africa and the juvenile does not leave until around early August, how on earth does it know just where to go, but yet it not only finds Africa without problem, in most cases I believe it gets back to areas close to the parent birds. AND ALL THAT IS STORED IN A EGG!!


Another one of the Cuckoo having just laid a egg in a Tree Pipits nest.  Tree Pipits maybe one of the host species of the "Cuckoo" in Dalton Crags.


A general sketch of Dalton Crags, showing some of the species which frequent this small area.


A sketch to try and show the differences between the High Brown Fritillary and the Dark Green Fritillary. 1) the smaller, yet smaller spot on the forewing, the round shape of the trailing edge of the forewing against the dipped in the middle shape of the wing and finally with wings closed the green sheen to the commoner whilst the rarer High Brown shows some black dots circled in red. 


Another diary page for 26th May 2013

Another diary page for Saturday June 15th 2013


Diary page for 21st and 25th to 27th March 2013


Another diary page for Wednesday March 6th 2013


Wow! used to get a lot of neckache with wearing binoculars, dont bother now putting them around my neck. But guess too much "vismigging" could leave you like this and would require you to visit the doctor. and the look on that doctors face whilst he asked the question "how have you managed to get like that"


Reckon to be a Orchid expert? well this can be a bit baffling. On Hutton Roof we have some special orchids which are hybrids of the Dark Red Helleborine (Atrorubens) and the Broad Leaved Helleborine (Helleborine) and these are called EPIPACTIS SCHMALHAUSENEII  what?.



Some things have to be silly to make it work!! or thats what I keep telling myself.
Visible Migration and what to expect!



Froggies "Mothers Union"

Another sketch ready for a history blog which showed lots of gravestones etc


My sketch of the yaffler for presentations


The wind was blowing so strong one day and blew my hat into the canal, were I tried to fish it out with a large stalk. That was OK but I somehow manage to end up with my legs partly in the water and subsequently wety socks and squelching boots




Rob the warden was telling me that he thought that this particular area of the South Lakes was much like a circular route they have in search of food, and their call off service area is "Sizergh" so I just had to do this little sketch showing "Eddie" the hornbeam kernel chomper


All these birds have one thing in common?
they do a contact call like "hou-whit", the Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff have the slightest difference in their call, but the Chaffinch and the Redstart are far more bold, but at times it can be difficult to distinguish!


Another dairy page


Another diary page










This is a large boulder in "Lancelot Clark Storth" which reminds me so much of a old mans smiling face


This was a farmer who checks is sheep out regular, and would come past early in a morning whilst I was birding, and would usually stop and have a "natter" and this particular day he was telling me about the fox he had just seen with a pheasant in its gob!"



I did this one for the ELOC (East Lancs Ornithological Club) which I was told they would use on their site.



This was to show a area which had quite a few "purpurea" helleborines", but the year after doing this sketch a lot of them came through yet without flowers, just bracts. Since they have recovered and are again doing OK


This one was done to accompany my poem about Rag and Bone Men


“Ay Rag Booen”


(“Rag Booen”, Any Owd Rags”)

“Ay Rag Booen” was what was shayted,
O’er many times a day,
Daern main street or back street,
It amplified away…

Thad hear his cart a trundling,
O’er setts his poony clipped,
From Top Oth’ Town to further daern,
He’d do his daily trips.

Thank ya lass fur bundle ur rags,
And neh tha wants a “donkey stoowen”,
Tu brighten up tha step and cills,
Well here thi are, in cream or grey,
A Donkey Stoowen to polish away.

Thank ya lad for bundle ur rags,
And thank thi muther too.
And neh I’ll bring a smile to thee,
But first goo home, and get a jar,
Then a “gowdfish” to thee can be.

A remember, Mr. Mahoney,
And Mr. Capels too,
But the ones I remember best was George,
And his son Teddy too.
Thi were the Rag and Boone Kings,
Who’ad shayt from behind reigns,
“Ay Rag Booen”, “Any Owd Rags”….

(12th February 2012)




I was asked by Rob if I would do a "comical sketch" for him relating to the Hawfinch










 This one was done especially for Cumbria Wildlife Trust
to be used in their E-Magazine has a map for the Whitbarrow Nature Reserve


Used to accompany my poem "Wilbur"


I allowed this photo to be used for their "Large Screen Banners" for Natural History events for the Tullie House Museum in Carlisle.  I have a photo of the banner in situ which you can see below (Click over to enlarge) besides my simplistic Marble Quarry sketch you can also you can see my smoked sunbeam photo at the bottom.

Smoked Sunbeams taken at Arnside Knott on 31st August 2010

I have been approached lots of times about this photo, people saying they have taken photos which
appeared to have sunbeams but they could not manage this effect.  So I told them that I was very
fortunate on the day of this photo, in that the "foresters" were burning old coppicing about 100 yards away and by chance the blue smoke was travelling in a horizontal and once it caught the beams you
got this special effect


This is regularly used at the entrance to the Tullie House Museum, Carlisle

CBDC enjoying a well deserved ice cream at the Westmorland County Show. It shows
the banners in situ here as well