My Garden

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We live on the slopes of this North Antrim hill Knocklayd (1,695 feet).

"The hill is surrounded by standing-stones and other monuments, suggesting that it was a holy mountain."

This is a view of my Dog walking countryside, from Breen Forest, on the other side of the glen.

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This Blog is a collection of photos I've taken. 

They outline the route I take, on my daily walk with my dogs.

Bertha R.I.P.

and Rusty.

 Hopefully it will demonstrate just how interesting & pleasurable this daily activity can be.

Most of the photos I have taken myself, but without any fancy camera gear, I am unable to take good photos of Birds, so those I have borrowed.

By the way, the place & road names in this album are just my own nicknames.

N.B. You should be able to enlarge most of the photos, by clicking on them.

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This is Blue, our horse, leaning over the garden fence.

We usually give him an apple before we head off up the hill.

This is the sheltered side garden, where I have my Bird Table & we always make sure there is food & water for the birds, before we set off.

This snap of a Coal Tit on a Nut Feeder is, I'm afraid, the best I can do with my simple Camera. 

This is the start of our daily walk, looking up Alder Road with my garden on the right.

... it looks rather inviting, don't you think?

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.... and then there were THREE!

Sadly, our old faithful dog Bertha passed over in Oct. 2010.

To keep Rusty company, we now have two Terriers pups.

Top Right is Wee Dot, a Jack Russell / Cairn cross.

The other little fellow is a Jack Russell / Scottie cross.

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Birds seen in my garden, include these favourites:

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No 1 - The COAL TIT

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No 1 - The GREENFINCH

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No 1 - The GREAT TIT

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No 1 - The ROBIN

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Farm Lane

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This is the start of our daily walk, looking up Alder Road with my garden on the right.

... it looks rather inviting, don't you think?

Looking back towards the start, with Farm Lane going off to the left.

Just past the Bungalows, this is the start of Farm Lane.

It gives me a short option for a dog walk, if I don't have much time.

Looking back the the Wee Farm.

This mansion replaced a tiny wee one up, one down cottage.

I guess that's what they call progress.

This is the narrow lane after the Mansion.

This is further on down the lane, looking back at the Sheep Sheds.

This is rather a tranquil scene with Sheep & a Pony in the field behind.

Looking back up from the end of the Lane.

Great views of the quiet countryside from the end of the lane.

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Alder Road

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In this field, by the side of Alder Road, you can see this Fairy Tree by the ancient Souterrain.

This Ram might make the perfect mascot for the Orangemen on the 12th.

Isn't it surprising, just how charming something as simple as a field gate, can be. 

Doesn't this one make you want to lean on it, to see what's going on in that field?

I call this old Ash Tree 'Lucky'! 

It was the favourite nesting spot for Starlings for many years and it also used to be the tallest tree at this end of the walk, until most of it was smashed over, during a huge storm about 4 years ago. Since then it has started to grow sideways, out to the right, and recently some farm machinery smashed a few more branches from it's side.

Behind the Ash is the Alder Tree Hedge.

An unusual white faced black sheep.

Notice the sheep to the right, behind it, which has ..... NO EARS!

Rusty saying hello to our neighbours young Pony.

Our neighbours young pony.

Her Mum is looking on, from the Souterrain.

I call this tall Ash Tree, just up the road, 'The Young Pretender'.

This is the bend at the top of Alder Road, and the track off to the left, which I call Hunter's Halt, leads towards the mass of Gorse Bushes you can see in the distance, which I call Fox Coverts. 

This is where the hunters park, when they go Fox shooting.

This is what they leave behind them .. dumped in the ditch!

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Birds seen, while on Alder Road, include these favourites:

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No 1 - The Siskin

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No 2 - The Goldfinch

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No 3 - The Redwing

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Badger's Brae

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This is an interesting stretch of the road for seeing Birds and animals. Evidence of Foxes, a Badger once tried to set up home by the side of the road, but was unfortunately killed by a car. There are also a few Rabbits about this area, which no doubt attract the Foxes here, in the first place.

Rusty

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What a Silly Billy! 
This young Goat, which was bred on the farm this year, is constantly getting his head stuck in the fence.

The Berry Ruin on Badger's Brae!

Just beyond the ruin, next to the burn is this Crack Willow. 

In the past the thin twigs of willow were used to weave baskets or 'cribs' for animal food.

Interesting to see how the bridge tunnel doesn't actually run at right angles to the road, as you might imagine, but follows the natural line of the stream instead.

This wee burn runs through the Fox Coverts, across the Rabbit Field & under Badger's Brae and on past the old Berry Ruin.

Badger's Bridge with the Berry Ruin in the background.

A small flock of sheep being driven up Badger's Brae to the hill.

This wild Privet hedge runs up the side of the Brae.

Looking back down Badgers Brae, from Badger's Bend towards Hunter's Halt, with North Antrim stretched out beyond.

At Badger's Bend looking up past Buzzard's Belt towards Knocklayd.

The same view on a misty evening!

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Birds seen, while on Badger's Brae, include these favourites:

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No 1 - The Fieldfare

It is always a joy to see these delightful Thrushes coming back to the hill each Winter, all the way from Scandinavia.

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No 2 The Cuckoo

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No 3 The Kestrel

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