THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks and

part of the Six Trails National Walk information Trail that heads up from to Middleham in Wensleydale via the Distance: Roughly 7.5 miles full length of Nidderdale. The path (includes additional 1 mile at meets the reservoir immediately Swinsty). and straight away it is clear that Height to Climb: 100m (330 feet) birds, flowers and the forces of nature will dominate the walk. Start: SE 170552. There is a car One of the pleasures is that there park at the west end of Fewston are small beaches on the waterside Reservoir. from where you can enjoy the sights Difficulty: Easy walking on good and sounds of nature. On the water paths throughout. the popular wildfowl of Canadian Refreshments: The Hopper Lane at geese, mallards, coots and greylag is half a mile from geese predominate but look closer the car park but there is plenty of (particularly as spring approaches) choice on the A59. for swans and cormorants. Be Prepared: The route After a mile and a half Fewston description and sketch map only ends and a small outflow stream provide a guide to the walk. You leads in to Swinsty Reservoir. The must take out and be able to walk is now in woodland but with read a map and in cloudy/misty access points to the reservoirs. On conditions a compass. You must the right is Swinsty Hall, difficult to also wear the correct clothing and see through the beech, conifer and footwear for the outdoors. Whilst oak, but once owned by the present every effort is made to provide (as we speak) football manager accurate information, walkers head Gareth Southgate. The track is still out at their own risk. excellent and as it approaches the dam at the east end of Swinsty it Please observe the Countryside becomes the domain of anglers; Code and park sensibly. both fly and coarse fishermen patiently waiting for their chosen fish (brown/rainbow trout and The walk perch are most popular). 6,500 brown trout have been recently OTH Fewston and added to the reservoir so maybe they do not have to be too patient! Swinsty Reservoirs are for one mile before crossing a road line to the Hopper Lane Hotel. Swinsty reservoir owned by A few hundred metres beyond the bridge and a lovely area on a bit Alternatively complete the walk Water, were built in the hall the track emerges from the of promontory, perfect for a picnic and drive the half a mile. B and a survey of the scenes across 1870s and supply some woodland at the dam. Turn right A final word of congratulations to of the water for (they have and a short sharp climb will take the reservoir. Detour inland to the who have made cluster of houses which make up been for nearly 150 years). In fact, you to the pretty village of this an excellent walk, safe and Fewston, the highlight being the Fewston flows in to Swinsty so they (complete with pub) but it is too enjoyable at all times of the year. are really just an extension of each early for me so I either cross the beautiful church of St Michael and other and no harm in that. However, dam or explore a little further (my St Lawrence. * Jonathan Smith runs Where2walk, a walking it does make me want to complete favourite option). For an extra mile Back to the shoreline and the path a circuit around both reservoirs drop down the path next to the (complete with small beaches) company in the Yorkshire making for a very pleasant three outflow of Swinsty, cross the river crosses a road between the Dales: Jonathan has written his or four hours walk. The paths are and then return up the west bank reservoirs before following the wide own book, the “Dales 30” which excellent and the views lovely, even to the reservoir. You are less likely path through some more woodland. describes the highest mountains though much of the walk is through to meet anyone and this is unusual It is not a quiet place as spring in the Dales. He also runs 1 woodland. If, like me, you have because at the weekends this can be approaches, the woodland alive Day Navigation Courses for driven the Skipton A59 a very popular walk. with song birds, mainly warblers Beginners and Intermediates. umpteen times, but never stopped Now turn north and follow the east and finches. The best path sticks to Join his Learn a Skill, Climb a now is the time, you will not be banks of both reservoirs back to the shoreline but towards the car Hill Weekend in the Dales. To disappointed. the car park. The east banks do feel park end a path leads diagonally find out more details on any of I start the walk at the car park to a little different from the west, the up towards the A59. If you are keen the above and details of many the west end of . views are still superb, but there are for a pint of beer or cup of coffee, more walks in the area visit his I joined the excellent footpath/ pleasant surprises at every corner. as the end of the walk approaches, popular website, Where2walk. cycleway to the south of Fewston, The track sticks close to the shore then this is the most direct co.uk.

Birdwatch By Ian Kerr

IGNS of spring are now have their dark heads and The pure whiteness of the bodies distinction of being the world’s There are fewer than a dozen everywhere at the moment cormorants are showing their of adults makes gulls look dull by largest colony with over 150,000 British sightings of this species, S but with a return to lower breeding season white thigh comparison. present in summer. It means only one in the north east. This temperatures and generally patches, always visible at vast A few winter in the North that gannets are on show just was a female identified in a distance as they flying along the about everywhere along the coast garden at Roker, Sunderland, in wintry conditions being forecast Sea but most move down off coast. On the same coastal trip, I during their long-distance feeding late October 2006. It also vanished for next week it could all come to a West Africa and around the noticed my first gannets of spring, trips from the breeding colonies. the very day it was confirmed. temporary halt. Mediterranean before returning two pristine adults which came They’re a bird I never get tired of It seems us local birders will More familiar garden and back in early spring to breeding inshore to join a brief feeding seeing. just have to wait for another farmland species are now getting territories. Over the next month frenzy, mainly involving herring There was a flurry of excitement opportunity. into breeding mode with song and and common gulls. Each made a or so we should be seeing display. In sunny conditions last increasing numbers offshore, last weekend over reports of couple of dives into the seething a probable female Siberian Sunday, I heard my first singing moving in long and low lines over mass of gulls but the shoal they rubythroat which had apparently skylarks of the year and watched the wave-tops. were preying on must have gone been visiting to a bird table at a couple of pairs of lapwings in deep and the whole thing was We’re lucky in being sandwiched Barnby Dun in rolling display over arable coastal quickly over. between two big breeding for several days. Unfortunately, fields. I’m sure other birders will Gannets, their black-tipped wing colonies, Bempton in Yorkshire no sooner had word got out than have had similar experiences. spanning six feet, are our largest and the Bass Rock off the Firth it vanished and hasn’t been seen A few black-headed gulls and most spectacular seabirds. of Forth which now has the since.