Sign of Sheep by the Sea

Trotting along by the side of a tidal channel on Morecambe Bay this line of  sheep attracted my attention as I walked the coastal path.  They seemed to have purpose in mind. The sign says 'Beware", not of sheep, but of 'fast incoming tides. Quicksand close inshore'.  These woolly locals intuitively know that because they are sticking to the rocky outcrop and perhaps are going  in search of sweet green grass.

Heading into western slopes of the Pennines, a duo of signs, one for the farm and one saying "No HGV" although the only reason they would be on this rough road,

which I would be more inclined to call a path, would be the driver paying more attention to his Sat Nav than the road.  Perhaps these two sheep are the farmer's look out, although one of them has more interest in grass nibbling. The stripy legs are one of the indicators they are Rough Fell sheep, a descendant of a breed found in northern Britain in the middle ages.

It is a docile breed, sometimes cross bred, but is very hardy, it needs to be to survive the harsh conditions of the Pennine and Cumbrian fells.

Rough Fell with the Cumbrian fells in the background in the low November sun

The regulations for ear tags seems to change all the time and as I no longer work with my farming colleague who ran a herd and had a wealth of amusing incidents I'm not sure of the significance.  I believe that sheep born after 1 January 2010 have a yellow electronic tag in one ear and either a matching tag on the other or a tattoo.

And just as a change from Rough Fell sheep here is Cheviot; my that coat does look cosy.  This is a wool that is sometimes used by hand spinners.  These white faced sheep have been run in the borders for hundreds of years.  They can be found  up to 3,000 ft above sea level however this one is actually at sea level in the Duddon estuary.The last three photos were all taken in November last year and unlike the previous year the winter turned out to be mild but the waterproof nature of sheep wool might have come into its own.

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

 

On the Edge of X

In mathematics the letter X denotes an unknown quantity.  In nature this X is also a bit unknown as it  is in a place that is neither sea or land, the salt marsh.  Continually changing it is a rich salt tolerant biology feeds birds, mammals and amphibians.

But what have I noticed here, footsteps in the mud

Sheep crossing? The sheep like to munch on the saltmarsh although this little group with two keeping a wary eye on me are on the embankment. (Their compatriots can just be seen near the horizon).     Also just seen in the distance further down the embankment is a place to take your ease.

The seat, now with the tide covering the salt marsh behind it. Unusually for the UK where you can nearly guarantee wherever you stop on the coast there will be someone gazing out to sea whatever the weather, this seat faces in the entirely different direction.  Either because of the contrariness of the local settlement of Millom (its name of Norse origin means 'between' as it sits between two rivers and the tide)

Black Combe

or perhaps the view of the hills is thought to be more restful. The Millom Embankment was built to protects both this low lying farmland

and the railway that wends its way up the coast.  Northern Rail paint some of their trains with views from the north of England, the area they cover.   I'm a bit too far away for this to be very detailed. The embankment where I stand is also part of a long distance walk, the Cumbria Coastal Way.  The train is the ideal alternative way to do it in chunks as linear walks (except at its very northern end when the train track bends away).

The perfect journey for sea lovers. The water laps the embankment. If you have noticed the difference in colour  of the sea grass, the first three photographs were taken in February, the others last November when rain had nourished the grass. This winter and late spring was one of attrition for the wildlife so on the February walk there were a few remains but this one took my eye:

Did the duck fall from the sky or did it become entangled in the hedge?  It was a sad sight but although dead at least in winter there were no flies buzzing around and only the effects of xeransis (the drying of tissues).

An entry to ABC Wednesday - a journeys through the alphabet that has reached X

Ewe Looking At Me

Wandering by the Rusland Pool beck this ewe was keeping an eye on me, as I was her

with her embellishment which is a practical identification but also gives her a blue punk style I found enchanting.

Returning back along the trail  she was still there but now taking her ease in the sun and still posing. Despite there being about 3 million sheep in the county I never tire of taking pictures of them, they don't fly or flutter away, hide in the undergrowth or have any camouflage. Of course it depends on the breed but these ones are placid, their thick wool making them look round and plump like this . 

The artist  is Reece Ingram who says he is "fascinated how closely the sheep resemble the landscape they live on. Each sheep looks like a gathering of hills". He too is fond of sheep and has made many representations in stone and sandstone.  This is one is made of oak, the national tree of England, like the sheep it has endurance in all weathers.  It is one of six called "Sethera" in Ridding Wood.  I could only spot four so the other two must be hidden somewhere waiting to be found. Or should I say I could only spot methera and the other tyan are hidden for the artist has used the old shepherds counting system and sethera means six. Long gone out of use its final death-knell I imagine with the 1870 education act providing schooling for all.  Each valley had its own counting system although they had their similarities.  The method may have be been brought here by the Celts or Norsemen in the ancient past.  Today only one (or should I say yan) is used in dialect; yan =1, such as  "can I have yan of them"

Ready to count?   1 yan, 2 tyan, 3 tethera, 4 methera, 5 pimp, 6 sethera, 7 lethera, 8 hovera, 9 dovra, 10 dick, 11 yan a dick, 12 tyan a dick, 13 tethera a dick, 14 methera a dick, 15 bumfit 16 yan a bumfit, 17 tyan a bumfit, 18 tether a bumfit, 19 methera a bumfit and 20 figgot.  In some parts of the county 15 is mimph but the child in me prefers to say bumfit.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet. 

 

Standing in Fields

Trees growing in rocks and thin soil but still sturdy as they grow towards the sun.

The sheep fill their days with nibbling the grass, the sun having warmed away the frost 

 

and the yearlings are just curious as I walk through their field. 

This is my sky.  For others see SkyWatch Friday

Quintessentially Cute

"You Looking At Me? Yes I'm quite adorable"

 

One Quite cute critter giving me the eye. Question - what is it? I think it is a ground squirrel with that fluffy tail but we don't have any in these quarters so my knowledge is questionable.  At first glance I thought it was a meerkat

Meerkat family

but no their more pointy faces are here as they chill out having some quiet time together.

Humboldt Penguins

Maybe the penguins forming an orderly queue for lunch in Antwerp Zoo know.

These quadrupeds don't know they have only seen our native squirrels but lambs are quintessentially cute, I just long to stroke those ears.

One ball of fluff wandering on the road. It looks like a Silkie chicken. Their name comes from their feathers feeling like silk, their placid nature making them ideal pets.  For the purpose of this post of course they are also quite cute.

An entry to ABC Wednesday. A journey through the alphabet.

ABC Wednesday - Ruminants

Ruminants roaming in a rural environment. There are 150 species of ruminants in the world but I'm showing the domesticated variety as we don't have many camels, bison and giraffes here. It also gives me an excuse to post cute lamb photographs.

These in the  pastures

and these on the low fells. Surrounded by the plant based food they like, ok grass, 

which is eaten and then initially softened within the animals first stomach which is then regurgitated, as semi-digested mass (cud), and chewed again.  No worries on the effect on the teeth of all that chewing for they continue growing throughout their life.  No wonder cows always seem to be dribbling for an adult one produces 100-150 litres of saliva a day.

 I don't think this little chap is up to that amount of saliva at the moment as he keeps a wary eye on me.

Always a good sign when every cow in a field is lying down it means there is continuing warm weather.  This one is modelling her ear tag (there is a tag on each ear). The one showing is the yellow primary ear tag. This shows her unique number, which will be listed on her passport with all her details. When moved this passport will go with her.

  I'll leave you to ruminate on that information.

Roam over to ABC Wednesday where there are lots more words starting with R

Sign of Sheep

Where sheep do safely graze, in the Howgill Fells

And enjoying the spring grass, not too far away in Ravenstonedale. There has been an inn at this crossroads since the 17th Century.  The 7 acre Crossbank nature reserve is at the rear of the Fat Lamb inn, a popular bird watching area.  I don't know which is the greater attraction the birds or a well stocked bar.

An entry to Signs, Signs

Baa-ck Soon

Summer has arrived and like this curious sheep we have all taken our layers off, but of course nature does that for her.

I am off for a week's holiday in the Howgill Fells which is not very far from here in the Lake District, about fifty miles.  Wainwright describes it as "a stepping-stone between Lakeland and the north western Yorkshire Dales".  Weather of course is unpredictable so I may come back with blue sky photos or an atmospheric watery misty grey.  If the latter I may find time to resume my reading challenge which has slipped by the wayside in the last month.

The gorse is now in its full bright yellow flower everywhere.  The blue on these sheep denotes they are a hardy fell sheep, used to roaming the hills.

All Abuzz in Woodland

After saying last week how slow spring was in coming things seem now to be moving at speed. The bright yellow male brimstone butterfly (one of our earliest species to appear) was too fast for me as it fluttered along the wayside, but this Large Red-tailed Bumble Bee, still drowsy with Spring and pollen, was easy to capture.

Lots of pristine white lambs on the pastures of Woodland, mother was keeping a wary eye on me as this one, oblivious, fed.

The snow only lies in gullies on the southernmost of the Lake District fells and soon these trees will start to bud.

Sheep in Snow

The  fresh snow came as a surprise to humans and sheep alike.  I think they are saying got anything more interesting to eat than this cold grass.