Nature watch in the north Pennines

Yesterday I spent a lovely sunny day in the north Pennines, walking on the almost empty (of people) moors, dropping by the tourist traps of High and Low Force waterfalls to watch people do crazy things in kayaks, and having tea and cake in Blanchland. And all in great company, to boot. We had a very productive nature-spotting day, not only finding spring gentians in all their rare glory (spring gentians, I learned, are only found in one place in Britain, in Teesdale, growing in eye-catching blue splendour on the cutely named sugar limestone), but also bird's eye primroses, mountain pansies, mountain violets, early purple orchids, wood anenomes, cowslips and globe flowers. Rarish bird life was also satisfyingly represented, with the best view of an osprey I've ever had, on a fishing trip up the River Tees - we thought probably visiting for the day from the Lakes - and being mobbed by a trio of curlews. And many more curlews, and lapwings galore, and kestrels hunting around their cliff-side nest, and black grouse, and a ring ouzel darting by. A day to make me wish I had that kind of day more often.

Spring gentians in Teesdale