March 19th Harwood Forest

• Friday the 19th from home it seemed the ideal weather to go back to Harwood to cycle some of the tracks , but when I got there it was blowing hard from the West, well I was there so what else to do other than get on the bike , up past Redpath checked an old sheep enclosure for any sunny spots that may attract Adder , the sun was warm but the gusty wind cool to cold , on to Fallowlees , tree felling in this area so I moved straight on, Frogs a plenty in the roadside streams packed with Spawn, Fallowlees Lough looking rather bleak and mostly frozen, on over Newbiggin Burn which was flowing fast and up towards Chartners complete with new UPVC windows and work being done around the back , so it must be a holiday home a nice looking place in an open location. I went around the side and up to the edge of the forest to look over the open moor a single Meadow Pipit,back onto the track via Darden Rigg a lot of clear felled area here so you could see over to Darden Lough down towards Tod Knowe a section here still had plenty snow about 18"drifted to 2' in parts but it soon opened up again , I stopped and scanned at any suitable spot but nothing eventually getting back to the car late afternoon , to find a forest ranger waiting for me to have a word , "I was parked in the wrong area."

Plenty of Crossbills, and Siskins but no raptors other than a single Kestrel ,it was to be expected given the weather , it was a very hard slog against the strong wind , but I enjoyed it nevertheless, my coffee and pork pies tasting fantastic after sipping water all day.

Back home a good soak in the bath took away some of the aches and pains,listening to Florence turned up loud !!! looking forward to getting back up there !!!!

From Fallowlees
Fallowlees Lough mostly frozen
Bridge over Newbiggin Burn
Chartners

Not sure what this Caterpillar is
Still some snow lying in sheltered areas some very deep
Looking over Boddle Moss at the edge of Harwood
Tosson Hill
View from Darden Rigg
Darden Lough