One Misty, Muggy Morning

Wednesday, 26th July 2004
Wild West Yorkshire nature diary

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View from the Lair, Texas, photograph by Rheba Kramer MitchellWhen I first glanced at this photograph (left) in an e-mail my friend Rheba Kramer Mitchell sent I thought that one of her friends must have visited England, as it looks so like the rural parts of the Yorkshire coalfield.

But this is Texas, not far from Austin. Rheba tells me: 'The trees just beyond the hay field are at the creek. Our land goes to the hay field, but to the right it goes all the way back to the creek.'

I had imagined the landscape in Rheba's part of Texas always to look more arid than this.

MidgleyBarbara and I came across this scene (right) as we emerged at the top end of Coxley Woods on our walk this morning. That's the hamlet of Midgley in the background. I e-mailed it back to Rheba.

She says the countryside looks beautiful and, yes, similar. But when she updates me on her local birdlife I realise just how different her neck of the woods is to mine:

'I think the male hummingbirds are already leaving,' she tells me, 'have seen lots of females and only a few males. A road runner has been parading back and forth through the yard. Love those birds. They eat snakes, but unfortunately, lizards and frogs as well. Still, I like having them around, they are such a symbol of this area besides being rather unique and beautiful birds.'


Bretton Park

Bretton Park

Our walk takes us on across Stocksmoor Common Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve and we stop at the Cascade Bridge in Bretton Country Park, (above; looking towards Woolley Edge and the M1) for a drink of water and a meusli bar. We've chosen a misty but muggy morning for our nine mile walk. Next Page

Related Link

Tapestry Dream,  Kramer MitchellThe Lair, Rheba and Farris's Texas wildscape. Includes the Lair Log and a gallery of Rheba's digital art.

Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk

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