Summer in Willeskop Nature Reserve

Hollandse IJselpad Sign

A little bit of watery delight in the Green Heart of the Netherlands Willeskop Nature Reserve invites one in.

We gazed across the lake at the hundreds of water birds while a pair of hen harriers wheel overhead.

The path leads us through trees and dozens of red admiral butterflies most hiding in plain sight as they merge with the tree bark.

Past wild flowers the bright light of high summer making a large white butterfly almost transparent.

Greylag Goose

The lake comes into view again

If you live in a land flat as a pancake then build your own viewpoint. A tower to take in the polder landscape

Irresistible to visit

Yes you can see for miles and miles

Wave to the dog walkers.

Return to earth and cross over to the other side of the lake

We were fascinated by the integrated step stile on the gates.

Enjoy the shade of the trees

Try to pass by a pair of swans taking their ease on the path with their lone chick, one swan hisses a scary warning. I would guess they have lost all their other offspring so of course highly protective of their only child. Eventually they take to the water and we continue on our way.

Go over a bridge

and yes another one

This is a one way bridge for the farmer to gain access to his fields.

These cows were mooing to their compatriots two lines of water away

Who were calling back, probably wishing there were cow bridges.

The polder windmill at rest no raging torrents to move.

Our enjoyable nature walk now comes to an end.

Blue Tailed Damselfly

A blissful time in the polder landscape.

Willeskop Nature Reserve footpaths 

Quadrate

A square form, a quadrate, nestles by the side of a babbling brook in Furnace Wood. 

The question is what was it for?  I don't know.  Perhaps it is associated with one of the old industries of the Duddon Valley, the making of bobbins, iron making, coppicing or even a hand tanning pool.   It is a mystery to me. Water was used from the River Duddon and perhaps

from this stream in the 18th Century for water power to operate the box bellows below

at the Blast Furnace.  The charcoal produced from the surrounding woodland powered the furnace that once lit would burn for six months, producing molten iron every twelve hours. (The casting arch can be seen on the right).

Another question arises as I take you on the path up through the wood, of what this faded message once said.

At least there is no question of what these flowers are by the side of the path, although the various varieties of mosses might be another matter.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at Q here

   

Water

We have had a lot of water recently weeks and weeks of rain  as the storms come in wave upon wave from the Atlantic but here on the sunny May days of my photographs there is not a drop is in the air.  Silently and unseen an underground water supply makes its way to the taps of the valley.  Nature gave us a dryish summer and the boating house of the local park lake closed up because water levels were too low but they were high enough for the resident water fowl. 

The Goose family were too quick for me, taking to the water as I approached.  I often saw this pair in May always attentive to their lone chick, the other eggs cannot have hatched and probably fallen victim to a predator, I suspect the local herring gulls who are always after an easy meal.  Inland the gulls are nowhere to be seen and in a water fountain

this duck is showing off  its waterproof feather as it made a slow turn changing direction under the rhododendron trees

the sunlight dazzlingoff the droplets. 

Russell Square fountain, London

Was this little boy about to test the waterproof nature of his clothing (nil) or skin (good)?  Water fountains are an irresistable attraction with their frothing water but I think he is undecided and one small step might be enough. It was a rather chilly day, as you can see from the number of people wearing jackets and scarves.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at W here   

 

Blog Action Day - Water

The pipe over the River Dunsop in Lancashire that carries the water from Thirlmere in the Lake District to Manchester. How lucky we are in Britain to have a system that brings clean water to our taps. In other places of the globe people are not as fortunate.  One billion people do not have access to safe water, 4500 children a day die from water borne disease and no proper sanitation.

Today is designated blog action day for water. Thank you to Elizabeth for her article that highlighted this. 
Join in and sign the blog action petition here and perhaps visit  Water Aid  who run projects throughout the world and see what can be done.  One billion people is a daunting number but as Lao Tzu said "A journey of a 1000 miles must begin with a single step".