Tag Archives: #Winter

Upland Farming in the Backend of the Year

This time of year, (around the end of November / start of December as of writing) is known as the “hinge of the year” by upland farmers. The clocks have gone back, the bracken has bleached to rust, and the last of the swallows are long gone. Up on the fells the year’s main outdoor work might be done, yet it never really stops. This is the season of maintenance, mending, and quiet worry.

Bill’s Christmases

A Poem by Cicely Fox Smith “Christmas,” said Bill, “on Christmas cards, it’s winders all aglow,An’ lots o’ stuff to eat an’ drink an’ a good three feet o’ snow,An’ a bunch o’ bouncin’ girls to kiss under the mistletoe. Holly an’ robin redbreasts too, as rosy as can be,An’ waits an’ chimes an’ allContinue reading “Bill’s Christmases”

Blackpool Illuminations

Often dubbed the “greatest free light show on Earth,” Blackpool Illuminations have been dazzling visitors to the Lancashire seaside resort for nearly 150 years. The annual spectacle transforms the town’s promenade into an extravagant display of light, colour, and creativity, drawing millions of tourists each winter.

Buntings in Bowland

Snow Buntings are true Arctic specialists, thriving in barren, open habitats with sparse vegetation. They breed in high-latitude tundras but undertake impressively long migrations southward during winter to avoid the perpetual darkness and sub-zero temperatures.

Northern Shores: The Knots of Morecambe Bay

The vast tidal estuary of Morecambe Bay is one of the most significant sites for birdlife in the British Isles, supporting over 240,000 birds annually. Among its most iconic avian visitors is the Knot, Calidris canutus, a small, stocky wading bird known for its remarkable migrations and mesmerising flock displays. A holarctic species, breeding inContinue reading “Northern Shores: The Knots of Morecambe Bay”

A Troubling Trend; Fly-Camping in Britain’s National Parks

All across the United Kingdom, from Dartmoor to the Dark Peak, a troubling trend is emerging; the destructive, disruptive and disrespectful activity known as fly-camping. Often confused with the responsible pastime of ‘wild-camping’, fly-camping refers to unauthorised, irresponsible overnight stays where groups pitch large tents by roadsides or in beauty spots, bringing in items suchContinue reading “A Troubling Trend; Fly-Camping in Britain’s National Parks”