Two's Company

I did wonder whether I was a little under dressed this morning when I ascended Great Hill in shorts and T-shirt but the wind wasn't cold so limited the chill factor. I had my water bottle with me and reckoned that as long as I remained hydrated then all would be well - it was. I always find the breeze invigorating. It reminded me of the transpiration process in trees - as long as there's sufficient water in the ground to replace what is lost through the leaves all should be well (assuming it's not too cold).

I was pleased to see a young dipper on Black Brook. The bracken seems to have grown amazingly quickly and provides lots of shelter for any birds that are starting to moult. I spotted the usual species including: reed bunting, wrens, larks, pipits, linnets and family of ravens having fun. I don't know what's happened to the stonechat this year - hardly seen at all. I saw a froglet and will hopefully see many more when we eventually get some rain.
Should I be surprised that I've been seeing fungi on my outings recently? Given the dry spell and time of year, I was. Today I saw what probably were wood mushrooms (the identification is courtesy of someone else).
I set out again this afternoon and was pleased to have some company - my eldest. We had a quick scramble up Hordern Stoops to Winter Hill and found this seasonal sign by the TV mast.
Then we moved on towards Rivington Pike. I think this is one of the most attractive views of it (above). Then swinging the camera southwards we see Two Lads (the rocks on the brow of the hill in the background). The sun brought out the butterflies and we saw several small heath, small tortoiseshell and a red admiral.
We returned via George Lane which is actually a rough track; it's great for testing how strong your ankles are...