Blogging at 20:30 on Thursday 3rd June from N 55.20221°, W 02.35972° / http://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:55.20221%2C-02.35972
Last night's camp was excellent (again) and during the night Emma heard long-eared owls. First thing this morning we also saw our first cuckoo of the year.
Because the army were still flying red flags around Otterburn we gave up on any chance of a ride in the area and instead went over to Kielder Water. There we did a pleasant loop of the reservoir and afterwards headed off to a spot we know, intending to have a chilled afternoon and then to overnight. Unfortunately - and very probably once again because of the recent proliferation of 'van-lifers' - we found newly-erected signs prohibiting overnight parking: entirely predictable and entirely tiresome.
Speaking of; we've seen stacks of so-called 'stealth vans' around and about. They're usually easily spotted - apart from the general skank - thanks to cheap graphics of compasses and mountains accompanied with a strap line helpfully letting the world know the occupants are 'On an Adventure'.
Well, they may be; but it would be awfully good of them if their adventure incorporated the concept of being slightly less inward-looking and instead demonstrated a little respect for communities and some understanding of - and mitigation of - their environmental impact.
As a bale-out we had another spin out on the bikes to look for an alternative stop-over and have ended up at the coordinates shown near to Black Middens Bastle.
Last time we were up here we learned of these things; fortified farmsteads designed to defend against Reivers. It's an impressive relic and is set in some very pretty landscape.
No rare natural history interests today, but we have seen more siskins, a stoat and a really attractive natural 'bonsai' garden; self-set stop a fence post and which included mosses, lichens and a tiny tree (pic).
It's also massively apparent that spring is really late. We're seeing and hearing stuff that we should have seen and heard about a month ago.
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