Black and Gold

I've been away in the wetlands of North Norfolk - a delightful contrast with our uplands, yet many subtle correspondences and similarities of colour and texture in the landscape.  The news of further fires on Calderdale's moors has been a worry and as soon as I got back I had to rush up to High Brown Knoll to check the area where the Curlews and Plovers nest.  As soon as I started up the hill there was a very strong smell of burnt moor so it was a relief to find no signs of fire nearby.  Of course I know that many other nests of Curlews, Twites, Skylarks and Golden Plovers will have been destroyed on Ovenden Moor and Blackstone Edge which is very upsetting.

I'm sure that many people think the moors are bleak and deserted places but there's a whole mysterious, secret world of life up there if you really look and listen. A pair of Golden Plovers were pottering around in the newly sprung cotton grass.  They are very beautiful and incredibly well camouflaged for this environment. This is the only (partially) successful photo I could manage with the very heavy long lens.

I think this must be Mrs Plover as the male has more black on his belly. In Norfolk I saw a grey plover on the beach, equally gorgeous but in a silver, white and black colourway. Listen to the sound of the golden plover here.

An Easter Plover

Uninterrupted wandering through the Watershed lands during this spell of lovely Easter weather has provided some marvellous sights and sounds and none more magical than this Golden Plover's nest on the high moor.

We briefly lost the faint path when suddenly a bird rocketed away, skimming low.  My eagle eyed and informed companion spotted the eggs so I snatched this quick shot with a telephoto lens before quietly retreating and leaving the area rapidly to allow the parent back as soon as possible.  We decided to take a different path on our return leg of the walk to ensure the bird was left in peace and were rewarded by the sound of a Curlew nearby.

This just shows how vulnerable ground nesting birds are and why its important to keep to the paths at this time of year. Its so sad to hear today's news of fires on the nearby Ovenden and Rishwoth moors. You can really notice how dry everything is on the uplands right now.

The high moors wouldn't be the same without the unmistakeable soundtrack of bubbling curlew song, difficult to describe but never forgotten once heard.  Listen to it here.