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 

Old Sluice

The old sluice gate on Tarn Beck which once controlled the mill race which would have turned the water wheel  at the Carding Mill further down in Seathwaite. A carding mill combs out wool ready for spinning and at one time this one would have employed about 10 men.  When it was first set up in the 1790s the spinning yarn produced would have been used by hand weavers. The building today has been converted for other uses.    

Tarn Beck flows out of Seathwaite Tarn which nestles at 1,200 ft (365m) on the western slopes of the Coniston fells and as you can see there is always copious amounts of water coming down, the beck has broken its banks.  From old water power to

wind power, this is all that remains the old windmill at Hodbarrow Point, the photograph taken just as the colours were about to turn last September.  The name Hodbarrow is from Old Norse, hafri (oats) and riff (a ridge) so it is appropriate that this used to be a corn mill.

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