Castle Howard

A visit to Castle Howard and a 6 Mile Walk.(Wed).

With the awful weather at home we had a day at Castle Howard.

After forking out 2 arms and 3 legs we had a look around the old house ( It’s not my cup of tea – normally Sue's thing but she wasn’t to impressed either).

 I enjoyed the lake more and got a few picture. I think I’ve got a Pochard or Gargany and a Gadwall.

There were 4 Little Grebe on the great lake all dressed in their summer clothes and scooting about making aggressive noises. A lovely sight.

Afterward visiting the House and Grounds we had a walk through Coneysthorpe village and onto a bridleway between the picturesque houses there. 

This leads through fields and down into a wood. The path climbs steeply through the wood and reached a good bridleway going left and right. Our route, however, took us straight ahead on a long downhill path by the field sides. 

2 Common Buzzard were seen at different times on the walk and another hawk type which was diving to avoid corvids. 

I though it was a Kestrel but the picture doesn’t look much like a Kestrel to me.

There were several Brown Hare of which I managed to get a few pics.

At the bottom of the fields the track turns right before exiting onto a road.

A right turn and a long mile, mile and a ½ of tarmac bashing now ensued to arrive at our destination The Cresswell arms at Appleton Le Street. It was 17:55 and the pub opened at 18:00, so the timing was pretty good.

After a very enjoyable meal we headed back via a absolute gem of a path that starts at the back of the pub, heads towards the church before turning left uphill through trees and bushes. The bushes were alive with birdsong, but we had a good way to go before it was dark, so I had no time for the camera – except till a real gem of a Yellow Hammer in a nearby tree caught my attention and had to be snapped.

This path reaches a bridleway and a right turn and after another mile or so brings us back to our earlier path through the woods, this time thankfully going downhill.

Approaching  Coneysthorpe at dusk, we were rewarded with a Barn Owl out hunting. I only had time to point the camera and shoot before it left the scene, so the picture is an anagram of carp.

Thought this was a Kestrel at first but the pic does not reflect that.

Yellowhammer - approaching dusk

Worst Barn Owl shot ever!

Some pics from earlier in the day:-

Fairly sure this is a Kestrel being mobbed by a Corvid

I'm not very good with duck ID's but possible Pochard or  Gadwall and  Garganey:-

Gadwall

Garganey