Grouse chat

I filmed this grouse on Grinton moor yesterday- love the noise they make! I am adding my first blogger video!

Facebook

Laykin cottage now has a Facebook page!

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thanks!

snowdrops

I wonder who first planted the snowdrops near Laykin. The garden was full of them before the builders renovated the cottage in 2009. We have planted some more in the garden since and will continue to spread them around. The woods are also full of snowdrops which we love to see.

Grouse eating hawthorn berries in December

When grouse are desperate for food they feed on berries. They are ungainly in the bushes as it is not their natural habitat, and they are not used to perching. It is rare to see and amusing to watch them wobbling about.

Snow and moon

Swaledale in the snow

Winter came early to Swaledale this year. The first snow fell in November. By mid December much of the worst of the drifts had gone, but there were considerable amounts of ice everywhere due to the freezing temperatures. The waterfalls looked so pretty, but the road up to Laykin was lethal, like a massive ice rink by the ford!

Aysgarth Falls in full flood

This was a really impressive sight. I have never seen the river so high, it was thundering past!