Harthope Valley 23-8-09

What you looking at !!!!

Sunday the 23rd saw me in the Harthope Valley in was a bit dull as we drove down into the valley ,Buzzard over followed by a second they both just hung in the wind over the crest of a hill hovering now and then before drifting off, Red Grouse just at the roadside ,I should have had the camera beside me ,I have often seen Red Squirrel along the wall just as you come over the hill, but not for the past few visits, several Stonchats, a mass of Swallows & House Martins which came down onto the path Beside Langleeford house , as did about 15 Goldfinch and a few Meadow Pipits , it was dull and grey for most of the morning ,till the rain came and then it was just miserable ,we waited in the car to see if it would brighten up , but no .
I was amazed at the amount of erosion from the July rain the run off must have been imense, the bridge pillar pushed over by large boulders and the shear force of the water, with large chunks of the bank gone and sand well up to the road at some points.
Just beyond Langleeford it looks fairly normal although the stream bed has been scoured

Looking back down the valley on a dull August day

Large area washed out by the force of water

Tree roots undermined

The bridge pillar pushed away by the force of boulders & water

Looking downstream, I presume the round boulders move easily with the force of water ,