Bronte Country 2022
Haworth Moors in October
October is always a relatively quiet month across Bronte country. With the Curlews and Lapwings long gone, the heather and bracken both dying off changing the colour palette across the moorlands.
Of course October marks the arrival of autumn. I can always smell its arrival. The dampness in the air. Those misty mornings. Cold air filling my lungs. It is undoubtedly my favourite time of the year. Those muted tones, the greys of the dry stone walls, the vibrant green mosses contrasting against the burnt oranges of the dying bracken and ferns.
Bluefaced Leicester Tup
It also marks the arrival of shorter days, colder nights, rain, mist and the men of the hour, the tups. Both the Stanbury and Haworth tups arrived early on in the month. Placed in fields on their own. Left to battle it out between themselves. Chomping at the bit at the sight of the ewes out on the moors and in the fields beyond their reach. I do always feel for them.
I love October for the simple fact that the ewes get a little bit of freedom to roam. Doesn’t seem like so long since they had their lambs taken from them so its always nice to see them out on the moors with a little sense of freedom, left alone to their own devices. And its been a great month for them this year weather wise. Still relatively warm with very little if any rain.
The cows and Henry the Stanbury bull are also enjoying the warmer, drier weather as it means they are getting to stay out in the fields a bit longer than usual. They would all normally be back in the barn by this time and as terrified of them as I am its always lovely to see them out.
Swaledale Ewe
One of the ewes enjoying the freedom of being out on the moors
There has been plenty of gulls arriving down at the reservoir, common gulls and black headed. There was quite a lot of geese flying about. A few did stop over for a couple of days but they were all just passing through.
I’ve heard a couple of tawny owls as I’ve been out. I haven’t seen them as its always still dark when I set off for my walks but I’ve heard them quite a few mornings throughout the month. There is something quite magical about hearing the call of an owl.
There has been a hen pheasant and what I believe to be her two chicks hanging around one of the farmers fields for most of the month. The females are not a sociable as the male pheasants and are usually hiding away somewhere. I have an advantage in that I can hide behind the dry stone wall and observe them from afar so if I’m careful enough I can watch them for a while before they notice my presence.
November sees the introduction of the tups
I find November to always be a bit of an odd month. I can’t really put my finger on why I feel this way. It’s a bit of a non-descript month isn’t it, November. No longer autumn, not quite winter. The weather is all over the place and you never quite know whether to get your hat, scarf and gloves out and if you should be switching to your big coat.
It has been a bit of a mixed bag to be honest, weather wise. Some mornings were absolutely beautiful, the warmth of the sun against my face as I sat and drank my morning coffee. Other mornings were brutal, driving winds and rains bashing against me. The sheep hiding behind dry stone walls for protection. In fact we had storm Arwen towards the back end of the month, that absolutely battered the UK and Yorkshire was no exception.
The beginning of November marks the ewes coming down off the moors and going back into the fields where they are introduced to the tups. They will stay in the fields now until lambing time next spring. The tups will most likely stay with the ewes until they are scanned sometime in February.
Haworth Locals
There is a group of ewes that arrive in November every year. They are usually in the top last field before you head out onto the moors. Never have any tups with them. I think the majority of them are gimmers but there does seem to be some older ladies in with them. Either way they are incredibly cute and really quite friendly. They don’t tend to bother with me being about and will just usually graze around me.
In other news I’ve spotted a kestrel out quite a few mornings this month, hovering low to the ground, looking for breakfast. I keep hearing the tawny owls calling out to each other across the valley. Still no sightings of them but I have heard their presence throughout a large part of this month.
As I was sat up at mid Withens one morning, having my morning coffee, admiring the views something caught my eye up on Harbour Hill. The white bums of four deer bounding across the moors. Oh my what a sight to behold that was.
December is a sad month across Bronte Country
A very sad month indeed across Bronte Country. At the beginning of the month the derelict building that was Middle Intake Farm was knocked down. Nobody seems to know the whys of this course of action but I can only assume it has been deemed unsafe.
Middle Intake farm was one of only a handful of the Withins farms to remain steadfast, refusing to give in to the elements. So much history steeped into the stones of that building.
And in today’s world this building has been a focal point of so many of my photos over the past 8 years or so of me walking up here.
It has acted as a place of shelter for the sheep too. I’ve often seen them huddled together behind the dry stone wall adjoining this building protecting themselves from the winds and driving rain coming down off the moors. The farmer himself uses it as a makeshift sheep pen as he treats his sheep and lambs in the early summer months.
A Clattering of Jackdaws
A tree growing inside was home to a colony of jackdaws all now displaced and not really knowing what to do with themselves.
Not too much else to report, December is always a quieter month. The tups are still with us albeit not as active as they were. I think their job is done now and they seem to have taken to eating grass and having little naps.
It is truly stunning out at this time of year when the sun is rising. The low lying sun casting soft light and warm shadows across the landscape. Makes for some beautiful hues when the brown and orange brackens and ferns catch the sunlight first thing. Simply stunning.
Sunrise
The brackens and ferns catching the rising sun casting some absolutely stunning hues across the landscape.
A calm January followed by a battering in February
January was relatively calm in the main. A month of crisp calm days and some stunning sunrises. Not much else to report for January to be honest, it’s always a quiet month across Bronte Country with only the sheep for company and a few chattering grouse.
The beginning of February saw the arrival of the mistle thrush. There are a few pairs that arrive up on the moors at the start of the month and one such pair inhabit the huge sycamore opposite the falls. It’s not just the arrival of a couple of birds though. Its the promise of better things to come. Brighter days. Longer days. Sunrises and sunsets. Its the promise of the call of the curlew. The sign of the lapwings darting about the sky. Lambs frolicking in the fields. It is the first signs that spring is on its way.
Sycamore opposite Bronte Falls
The sycamore opposite the falls that the mistle thrush inhabit during the spring and summer months.
February also sees the tups departing and heading back home, where ever that may be for them, to spend the rest of the year chilling out. The ewes have all been scanned now and sorted out into different fields.
Ewes Scanned and Sorted
At the beggining of February the ewes are scanned to see how many lambs they are carrying. The farmer will then sort the ewes into seperate fields depending on the number of lambs.
This enables him to feed the ewes accordingly. Any ewes that are not carrying are usually let back out on the moors to fend for themselves.
I have had the pleasure of a barn owl out for quite a few mornings this month. It has been fascinating to watch. Hunting low to the ground, methodically sweeping the moorland. He knew I was there when I took this shot and kept his distance as I stood in awe mesmerised.
I was surprised to see a fox one morning. Haworth moors is a grouse moor which means the moorland is managed to enhance a healthy bird population for shooting. The foxes are managed as part of this process. He was in one of the lapwings nesting fields which doesn’t bode well for them or the curlews .
March and the arrival of the Curlews and Lapwings
March is always a busy month across Bronte Country and is undoubtedly my favourite time of the year as the moorlands become alive with the sounds of spring. We see the arrival of the ground nesting birds such as the Curlews and Lapwings. The Oyster Catchers, Meadow Pipits, Wheatears, Snipes and Golden Plovers also all arrive throughout the month of March.
It makes me so happy to hear them as I’m out walking. I love them being here. I love listening to the call of the curlew. It’s so evocative and stirs an emotion within me that is difficult to explain.
And the electronic sound of the lapwings as they dart through the sky, their sound reminds me of R2D2. The upper moorlands of Yorkshire wouldn’t ever be the same without either of these birds.
April sees the moorland come to life
April truly does mark the arrival of spring for me with the moors becoming alive with activity and those muted tones of winter giving way to the vibrant greens of the sphagnum mosses, ferns and bilberry. Providing a beautiful contrast against the dark peat, it is just something else.
Of course all of the visiting ground nesters are all busy preparing their nests. The meadow pipits and skylarks filling the air with their songs. There is also plenty of pairs of geese darting about the skies on important goose business.
The hares seem to be out more enjoying the warmer milder weather and can often be seen basking in the early morning sun. The rabbits too.
Lambing season is well underway in April too with the first of the lambs being born early on in the month.
April Lambs
The first of the lambs are born at the beginning of the month.
Haworth Hare
Have spotted him out quite a few mornings, basking in the early morning sun.
Mays moorland magic
May is always a busy time of year up on the moors. The ground nesting birds protecting their nests and chicks and whilst our ground nesters tend to do better on grouse managed moors predation by gulls and crows is a problem.
Everyday I watch the Lapwings and Curlews fending off the crows and they often rally together joining forces. As heart-breaking as it is to watch it was also quite fascinating, these 2 species of birds rallying together for the sole purpose of their survival as a species.
There are plenty of chicks about though and I have everything crossed for a successful season.
Gosling chicks down at Lower Laithe reservoir
I’ve seen the deer out on the moors quite often throughout the course of the month and the first week of May sees the arrival of the cuckoo, which can be heard most mornings as I’m out walking. The little owl has put in an appearance this month too and the short eared owl has been out quite a lot throughout the course of the month.
The trees are looking mighty fine in their summer dress, and the moors start to come to life as the bilberries, rushes and cotton grasses start to grow providing a patchwork of colour across the landscape.
It’s a great time of year and is like a balm to the soul
A busy month in June
June is always a busy month up on the moors as the curlews and lapwings are in constant battle with the gulls and corvids, fighting to protect their young and keep their species going. One morning I was sat having a brew when I noticed a deer up on the top of
Plenty of chicks about at the moment which is a joy to see. Such a critical time for our new feathered arrivals and I have everything crossed for a successful season. One morning early on in the month I spotted curlew chicks for the first time ever, a lapwing chick stomping about the farmers field, a grouse sitting on her brood, a hen pheasant navigating her chicks across the road.
June sees the moors come alive with colour with the vibrant greens of the bilberry, bracken and mosses. The cow parsley and cotton grasses contrasting against the green landscape.
The cows are all back out in the field enjoying their summer freedom. I have seen the short eared owl most mornings that I’m out, often two of them. Spotted the buzzard out too a couple of mornings. The cuckoo is back on his summer vacation and can be heard throughout most of my morning walk.
Plenty of curlews, lapwings, meadow pipit, stonechat, wheatears, wrens to name but a few. I can hear the snipe but still yet to see one in all my years of walking the moors.
Curlew protecting its chicks from the gulls circling above
Nesting Season Comes to an End in July
There’s a definite reduction in the number of curlews about, the oyster catchers are starting to gather down at the res, the lapwings are gathering in the farmers field. Looks like they are getting ready to head back to their wintering sites as nesting season comes to a close. Will just be myself, the sheep, grouse and pheasants soon
The brackens have shot up these past couple of week, almost as high as me in places. Plenty of grasses growing too, purple moor grass, mat grass (I think) and wavy hair grass. Heath bedstraw is flowering offering a blanket of white across the landscape with the purple foxgloves adding some colour contrast against the sea of green bracken.
I haven’t seen the owls of late though I’m sure they’re about. Plenty of hares about though, some young ones too.
Won’t be long now until the moors are awash with the purple flowering heather
August Heatwave
The UK has had a heatwave over the past couple of month’s with record temperatures not seen since the early 70’s. We have had hosepipe bans, Yorkshire Water is having to shift water about from res to res to try and manage the droughts.
The curlews have now left us, returning back to their wintering sites, as have the oyster catchers. The lapwings have started to gather down at the res, getting ready for their departure.
It’s been a stunning month across Bronte Country in August, with some gorgeous sunrises and sunsets and the most magical full moon I ever did see. The heather has also finally started to blossom, a purple carpet across the landscape offering a beautiful contrast against the vibrant green bracken.
The hot weather has resulted in me being out early mornings, catching the first light. I love being out first thing, I get to see a small glimpse of the wildlife before it retreats back into the shadows. The freshness of the early morning air, before the sun disperses the mist. A chance to just sit and be in the moment, gathering my thoughts.
Spotted a hen pheasant with her not so little chicks a few times throughout the month and the grouse chicks are all grown up now too. Always around to keep me company through the autumn and winter, along with the pheasants, deer, rabbits and hares.
A female kestrel was out most mornings too. Such beautiful markings catching the early morning sun. The swallows that I usually see darting about the fields in Stanbury have been congregating down at the res. There are plenty of starlings on the rooftops in Stanbury. Earlier in the month I witnessed a huge flock of them flying over Haworth village, it was a spectacular sight.
One morning I was sat under my favourite tree having a coffee and out of the corner of my eye I spotted a green woodpecker. Having never seen a green woodpecker before I was quite excited by its presence. The first time I’ve seen one around here for sure.
It’s been such a great month to be out and a reminder to me of how much I love being out first thing.
