A Cuckoo’s Tale: In June I Change My Tune

picture of a cuckoo

A Cuckoo’s Tale: In June I Change My Tune HomeWalkingWild SwimmingRunningDays OutBirdsBook Reviews Last week I read that the male cuckoos that are part of the cuckoo tracking project were already leaving the UK and returning to Africa to overwinter, their job done in terms of ensuring the next generation. These first ones to fly…

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Walking and Swimming in Swaledale

swimming in Swaledale - Wain Wath waterfall

Walking and Swimming in Swaledale HomeWalkingWild SwimmingRunningDays OutBirdsBook Reviews Wildflowers and Swim Spots Galore When we go on a holiday we enjoy going somewhere and being able to explore from our base. Upper Swaledale is perhaps one of the best places in the country to do this – stunning walks, either in the valley bottom…

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Beningbrough Hall Walk

tansy beetle

Beningbrough Hall Walk HomeWalkingWild SwimmingRunningDays OutBirdsBook Reviews In Search of the Jewel of York A favourite walk in the York area is around the perimeter of Beningbrough Hall. This is a lovely route for either a summer evening stroll or a winter trail run, not too long (approx 5km) and finishing at a lovely pub.…

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Howsham Bluebell Woods and a Favourite Walk

bluebell wood

Howsham Bluebell Woods and a Favourite Walk HomeWalkingWild SwimmingRunningDays OutBirdsBook Reviews May is the time for walks in bluebell woods. Around York there are a number of beautiful bluebell woods to enjoy as the weather gets warmer. We made the most of a warm mid-week day by leaving work slightly early and heading to a…

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Bishop Wilton Re-visited

meadow near Bishop Wilton

Bishop Wilton Re-visited HomeWalkingWild SwimmingRunningDays OutBirdsBook Reviews This is a lovely 5km walk from the pretty village of Bishop Wilton, 15 miles to the East of York. As the start is from the village pub, this is a perfect way to walk off the calories after a pub lunch or to build up a thirst…

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Curlew Call Lifts Spirits

curlew

Curlew Call Lifts Spirits HomeWalkingWild SwimmingRunningDays OutBirdsBook Reviews On World Curlew Day (21st April) I thought it appropriate to write about my encounters with this beautiful bird. This year I fear I will not hear it’s evocative call, the call of the wild moorland. one of my harbingers of spring. This 2020 spring has me…

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A Mausoleum and Many Monuments

A Mausoleum and Many Monuments HomeWalkingWild SwimmingRunningDays OutBirdsBook Reviews Yesterday we returned to Castle Howard parkrun for the second time. This is one of the toughest courses I know, with the last kilometre or so uphill. Yesterday it was also into a biting wind. The course designers have done a really good job in showing…

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