The Benj Blog – 3rd August 2024
Just about a year has passed and I can only apologise for the complete lack of updates. The intention is to rectify this immediately! There are visits to Anglesey, North Yorkshire and Scotland planned for the next ten weeks and hopefully the details will appear here…….
The recent DBLM Steam and DBLM Wildlife videos show what I’ve been up to. The Isle of Mull in June helped recharge the instinct to search for otters and eagles although a cottage in a heavenly location was sufficient to allow Nature to dominate 24 hours a day with the therapy of the sea, the tides, the wind, and the sounds of oystercatchers, wheatear, sandpiper and sheep becoming part of the furniture. A few days before Mull saw a re-union with the Jacobite steam service, the beauty of Camusdarach and its very personal Bothy and all that makes the Lochaber coast such a special location. And then a couple of visits to Anglesey, the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways and further south to the Talyllyn.
Most memorable would have to be a glorious summer’s morning at RSPB South Stack (on Anglesey) amidst the unmistakable sound of breeding season in full swing – and a day topped off by the ultimate in therapeutic sunsets near Church Bay – near silence, gently-lapping waves, prolonged sunset-effects in the cloudscape and occasional interruptions by the oystercatchers and Grasshopper Warblers.
But just as noteworthy is wildlife in my immediate locality. A springtime with Bittern, Cuckoos, Nightingales and otters. Newts, damsel and dragonflies in the garden, a visiting Grass Snake and those joyous sounds of Swallows, Swifts, and House Martins. For all of that, the practicality of using your bike is a key element. It gives almost effortless connection with five or six Nightingales singing in the local Nature Reserve at 5.45am in the morning – and no onlookers. Similarly when seeking out the otter family, a mile and a half in the other direction. With the absence of wind, noise, dogs and dog-walkers and just a distant hum of traffic – then your ears acclimatise to what is normal, average or expected. Above this comes the tell-tale squeak, maybe the slightest movement in the reeds alongside the banks of the Welland – and then confirmation with the wake created by an underwater swimmer or two or (most recently) four. Eight sightings progressively along the river bank, very much in fading light, but with the privilege of hearing otters at play, and play-fighting and eventually coming to the bank to check you out with that very special sniffing and snorting sound. Again there is no audience. And the spectacle is more than priceless. No pictures, no video (apart from basic phone footage), no Facebook, no wildlife-following paparazzi. Just what wildlife is all about. You’ve heard it, you’ve seen it, words fail to describe the emotion. And, like a very tasty and perhaps celebratory meal, the moment will live on and satisfy you for weeks to come, re-energising your quest to get out and see things on your doorstep and much further beyond! And somehow one special moment validates all the time you spend seeing nothing and almost questioning if you will ever see what you hope to find. Patience and perseverance pays off in the end!
The Benj Blog – 20th August 2023
Landscape Moments – rejuvenated website and Showcase slideshow on Youtube
This is a five-minute collection of 70 of the very best images from across the twelve Image Galleries. The pictures showcase the wildlife, landscape and steam nostalgia themes that contribute to the content of the Landscape Moments website and it is meant as an introduction to the website and to mark the completion of its recent refurbishment. You’ll have realised I’ve gone for simple and basic, extra easy to navigate – partly to help the less-technologically minded members of the viewing audience and because this is a website on a budget. A home page, white and almost blank with miniscule dolphin at its heart and a menu bar in the top right was never on my agenda. So please accept my apologies if the design falls short of your expectations!
The slideshow has images without description of content or location – but the details below should explain some of the mystery. And I hope you enjoy viewing and are not too critical of the chosen soundtrack – but that’s another story.
The Cuillin on Skye – Loch na Keal, Mull – Beasdale Bank, Lochaber – Talyllyn Lake – Highland Cow – Whitby, Yorkshire – Farne Islands – Whitby – Cambridgeshire Fens – Eclipse – Chanonry Point – Eilean Donan Castle – White Tailed Eagle – Helpston Heath – Grosmont – Loch na Keal, Mull – Eurasian Otter – Loch Scridain(Mull) – North Norfolk – Loch Slapin(Skye) – Loughborough(GCR) – Eigg and Rum – Llwyngwril, Gwynedd – Calgary Beach(Mull) – Shernborne – Knoydart – The Fens – Isle of Mull – Rutland – Garden – Helpston Heath – Crowland – Elgol(Skye) – Grosmont – Arisaig – Dolgoch Falls – Tobermory – Arisaig – Rannoch Moor – Red Kite – Whitby – Isle of Mull – River Nene – Maxey Church – Garden – Mull – Burnham Norton – Talyllyn – Grosmont – Fraserburgh – Bottle nosed Dolphins – Garden – Mull – Burnham Norton – Grosmont – Burghley Park – Gribun, Mull – Farne Islands – Loch Scridain – Fryup Dale – Stamford sttation – Mull – Golden Eagle – Staithes – Camusdarach – Docking – Whitby – Weybourne – Isle of Mull
The Benj Blog – 3rd July 2023
A Railway re-born 23-25th June
I can remember being captivated by a muddy ‘unofficial’ footpath that had once been a narrow-gauge railway through the Aberglaslyn Gorge, about two miles south of Beddgelert. It was the early 1980s. There were tunnels hewn out of the rock, dark and scary inside and with the roaring Glaslyn river beneath. My geography and railway knowledge and awareness told me that the line’s closure had been a great injustice – as by this time tourism was a huge asset to this part of Snowdonia (properly renamed Eryri today) and the narrow gauge steam railways were a major part of the visitor appeal.
Almost fifty years later the whole line from coastal Caernarfon to coastal Porthmadog is back in business, after a huge renovation and reconstruction project. The scenery is spectacular as the railway reveals great views of the hills and mountains (passing beneath the summit of Yr Wyddfa), the rivers and valleys, forest and a wide floodplain. That mysterious old path through the gorge is now alive again to the passage of steam trains!
This has been a special event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Welsh Highland Railway with a large number of special trains hauled by original, restored and replica locomotives and carriages. Maintenance standards are high and yet the appearance of the line, its walls and fences, and basic stations and halts retain the appearance of a simple rural line from the 1920s and 1930s. There are some fierce gradients (several miles at 1/40) particularly around Beddgelert and it’s a challenging route for the crews with the large Garratt locomotives on heavy trains and probably even more so for the smaller engines on lighter loads. Heavy rain over two days out of the three added some extra drama and atmosphere – and that will be obvious if you have the stamina to watch more than a couple of minutes of the 35 minute video!
The Benj Blog – 20th June 2023
Visit to the Isle of Mull, in a heat wave 12th-16th June
Five days of unbroken hot burning sun, dried-up rivers and wildlife keeping a very low profile. Just what you wouldn’t expect on an Atlantic-facing island, off the west coast of mainland Scotland. Blue skies, a blue sea and a refreshing absence of television, radio and mobile phone calls. Instead a succession of regularly repeated sounds, much more pleasing to the ear, mind and soul – the calls of oystercatchers, wheatears, sandpipers, ravens, distant geese, snorting seals and the occasional fading dominance of a boat heading across to Inch Kenneth.
Evenings and overnight would be bathed in real silence – which would gradually give way, between 9am and 6pm to an irregular procession of passing cars and the ever-more-numerous fleet of motor homes making their progress along the single-track narrow coastal road, a route interesting and challenging to the confident motorist – but somewhat more of a worry for visitors not used to such roads, their adjacent ditches and passing places that demand the skilful art of reversing!
But for me a special highlight at this time of the year, when daylight lingers until midnight and reappears soon after 2am, is the 5am meander on the bike, along the shores of Loch na Keal, hoping to catch a glimpse of resident otters and maybe a White Tailed Eagle or Mountain Hare. No cars, no tourists, no wildlife watchers. Just the sheep sleeping on the road surface and every sound from above and below instantly registering in your head and putting you completely ‘in the zone’ of Nature at its very best. There’s the call of Peregrines high on the cliffs and a range of familiar sounds from our summer visitors as the breeding season gets into full swing.
Regrettably all this heat (already 22C at 5.30am) heralds a major warning. The midge. Not an issue when you are moving but all too threatening when you stop for twenty seconds or more. Wearing the extra clothes for protection is not what you really want to do – but vitally necessary in these humid conditions despite your reliance on midge repellent that you hope will work as well as it did last time. But the peace and beauty within the landscape is ample reward even though it has become clear that your wildlife-prize is taking it easy and conserving energy.
The island would appear to have become Mediterranean. And our base for the week is a cottage nestled beneath tall former sea-cliffs and a few yards from the shoreline. There’s an enormous amount to take in even without going anywhere – in fact there is no need to go anywhere because it is all here! The image of the ultimate ‘free-range’ cattle choosing to walk a couple of miles between high pasture and sea level illustrates the pace of life at 9pm.
So it looks like the planned video of a family of otters will have to wait until next time. The resident dog otter appeared at dusk and kept its distance. The one close-call with a Sea Eagle generously offered a raft of great images but rare incompetence on my part saw a me deliver the worst F22 setting to blur every potential picture.
The hero of the trip has to be Mr Skoda – he’s 19 this August (not sure what that equates to in car years) and his original engine, gearbox and clutch have just notched up 290 000 miles. He delivered yet another faultless performance including 70mpg with a full load and an outward journey of 750 miles from Helpston to Mull via Anglesey, Appleby and Morvern.
This was a great re-union with Bacca Cottage – and with huge thanks to Bob and Clare!
The Benj Blog – 30th May 2023
This has been a magical month!
With Spring all around I’ve rediscovered Western Scotland and North Yorkshire. The get-up-and-go spirit that had been somewhat dampened by three seasons of ‘The Covid world’ has been set alight again! The month started with successive and very successful visits to our local reserve to treasure the song of the Nightingale – there’s a video
and it ended with two magnificent days based at a ‘hidden’ campsite on the North Yorkshire Moors. In the land of the Curlew – the Lapwing – the Oystercatcher – The Red Grouse and the Cuckoo. Lengthy days, out at dawn and dusk, and privileged to drink in the sounds of the Moors at the peak of springtime. Perfect acoustics, almost non-existent tourists, a great campsite with 20 hour natural soundtrack. And then there was Bempton – the RSPB reserve upon the cliffs of the North Sea Coast, with a few thousand Gannets building their nests alongside Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Guillemots and the occasional Puffin. The sight, the sound, the smell. And the Dippers in the River Esk. The quality sleep. The Fish and Chips (unbeatable quality, and rocketing prices).
Something had to follow the six days in the Lochaber region of Western Scotland – it’s normally a very low point – but Yorkshire more than did it justice. Arguably the second best wildlife trip (from around 300) in terms of constant action, memorable sounds, weather and success. But it did rather overshadow the prized trip of the West Coast. The key factor is often weather – and two days of rain or drizzle takes the edge off the sights. The steam trains were as momentous as ever – nothing beats the sound of the locomotive working extremely hard to keep its seven carriage consignment of passengers/visitors/Harry Potter fans on the move to the top of the steep gradient at Beasdale – although the stillness in the oak woodland before and after are key players in a six minute orchestra and the mountains, sea loch, nesting birds and midges all they their part. And it looks like another video to add some substance to that description
And then there is Camusdarach Beach, as memorable as ever and nothing short of a hidden gem – a guaranteed rehabilitation of any withering spirit as you wander blinkered on a path through through the dunes to encounter the widest white sandy beach, a tide in retreat, waves, sea, Rum, Eigg, Skye and a horizon beyond. There were the streams, the shortest river in Britain, the deepest loch in Western Europe – Loch Morar, the inevitable search for otters (brief success at the last attempt), the meals, the frantic bird activity in the surrounds of the Bothy, the feeding Dippers, and the young stags and inquisitive hinds that just seem to appear. There was incredible silence and endless freedom.
All this exposure to some really raw and marvellous wildlife does bring out a greed factor – hopefully to be satisfied in the shape of an imminent visit to the Isle of Mull. As the years roll by (faster now than ever before) the months of March to June demand quick and urgent utilisation – within three weeks the days will cease to be getting longer and yet another season will be be just a memory. So a chance to re-acquaint with Bacca Cottage and some of the island’s residents (human, eagles, otters and more) is to be grabbed without thought. It will provide yet more inspiration for future!
(I should add – Apologies for the somewhat ‘unfinished’ look to the new website – the title will get improved and the Gallery images need to get bigger and have a ‘flow’ – it has been desperate for precious skills and time to get it sorted).
The Benj Blog – 20th April 2023
Welcome to the latest version of the Landscape Moments website – where the aim is to showcase hundreds of still images and the growing collection of DBLM Steam and DBLM Wildlife videos.
The last three years have seen a great expansion in the number of DBLM Wildlife and DBLM Steam video collection – now totalling over 200 videos. This has been achieved very much at the expense of developing the wildlife and landscape images – a situation hopefully soon to be rectified. The days of using a camera for the still images alongside attempting to produce video as well have gone. I’m aiming to travel light and focus on one or the other – and often using car and bike in an attempt to limit the distance covered by the knees!
I’ve struggled to keep a blog up-to-date so far, probably because I imagine the ‘wildlife audience’ don’t want to hear about the steam experiences and vice versa. But there will be a concerted effort to fix this from now, I hope. The blog will reveal some of the background to adventures – and if all goes according to plan then this Spring will see a lot to capture. I’m looking forward to some early mornings on the Norfolk Marsh, the sound of the Curlew in the Yorkshire Moors and Dales, looking for the otters up at Morar and re-connecting with the Isle of Mull. The Snowdonian steam event on the Ffestiniog Railway along with the Welsh Highland 100 celebrations in June, together with the return of the Nightingales and Bittern locally and more from the local Barn Owls.
There’s second book on the horizon – working title ‘Beyond a Glimpse’ – and likely to focus on about 40 well-chosen images and the rich background detail that culminated in the final shot. It’s been on the ‘back-burner’ for a while – the pictures are ready – but matching the words to the final selection will only happen when the weather turns cold or wet! For me, the retirement lifestyle means maximising the weather opportunities, making the most of life and only doing a desk job when other opportunities are limited.
I’m hoping you will find time to read the background explanations for all the video and photography effort – as this may reveal what I’m trying to achieve and how planning, experience and luck help determine the degree of success.
Let me know what you think of the re-designed site, and the images and videos that you like the most. Send me a text, give me a call on the mobile, or send an email to [email protected] – whichever suits you best.
Benj