My North Antrim Dog Walk: September 2009

Willow Way

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Willow Way is one of the best stretches for seeing Birds on this walk.

Bertha

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When you reach Badger's Bend, at the top of Badger's Brae, you get this fine view over the top of the five bar gate into this field.

A little further along, on the other side of the road, you can look back down the hill across Farefield, so called because this is a favourite haunt for passing Fieldfares & Redwings.

The hedges are full of berries in Autumn, like these Brambles, which help to attract the Scandinavian Thrushes later on, in Winter.

Despite the abundance of Haws, they are still much underused today for old recipes like Hawthorn Jelly and Hawthorn Syrup.

As can be seen from these two photos the colour of Haws can vary quite a bit.

This stone has been sitting here since 1954.

What were do doing back then?

Just think too, of all the things you have during that time!

I can think of worse places for a stone to spend its life.

This is a lovely quiet little meadow popular with a variety of small Birds.

On the other side of the road this happy couple survey the scene.

Just past the meadow Rusty checks out the gnarled & mossy trunk of this Goat Willow Tree.

This is the Goat Willow Tree & on this exposed section, we have sheltered beneath it's branches many times, against driving wind & rain & even snow.

On the other side of the road you look up Knocklayd towards Knockans Croft, where folks haven't lived for about 100 years. It must have been a very lonely spot for them.

Looking back along Willow Way where the Goat Willow Tree is the prominent feature, those small trees in the foreground are a Hawthorn, & in front of that, the one & only Birch Tree on the walk.

Here's a closer look at that little Birch Tree with the Hawthorn behind it.

On Willow Way my favourite birds are:

No. 1 - The Grasshopper Warbler

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No. 2 The Meadow Pipit

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No. 3 - The Snipe

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No. 4 - The Buzzard

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Sheep Walk

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Sheep Walk is the most exposed section and has fields of Sheep on both sides, with Sheep Pens at the start.

These Sheep have just been to the Barber!

I call this spot New York, because I sit on that large stone each day and share an Apple with the Dogs, so it became known as the Big Apple Stone.

The Big Apple.

The view looking S.W. from the Big Apple.

The view looking North towards Knocklayd, from the Big Apple.

A little further along, this is the track the Shepherd, his Quad and his two Border Collie Dogs take, to the top of the hill, to check on his Hill Sheep.

A small herd of small Ponies.

Half way, looking back towards the Pony Field.

At the far end of Sheep Walk, looking back past the Sheep Pens on the right.

Rusty

On Sheep Walk my favourite birds are:

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No. 1 The Skylark

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No. 2 The Stonechat

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Plus an occasional sighting of a Hen Harrier

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and a very rare sighting of a Merlin.

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Cottage Crescent

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When Rusty was a Pup.

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This gate, on a bend in the road and guarded by Hawthorn and Alder, marks the start of Cottage Crescent.

A little further along, on the other side of the Crescent is a rather exposed Lover's Lane.

It is the turning point if we only wish to walk three miles that day.

Looking up towards Corrymeela Retreat Centre from the Crescent.

This charming section, with the picturesque holiday cottage, is very popular with the dogs, as there are always Rabbit smells to be found around the cottage.

Looking back along the Crescent.

The day I took this photo, there were about 100 House Martins gathered on those Power lines, getting themselves gathered up for the impending long trip to Africa.