Sunday, October 30, 2011

An Autumn Walk along the River Tees

The long, narrow gorge spanned by Egglestone's Abbey Bridge bridge provides one the most picturesque viewing points on the River Tees in autumn

















This is the view from the bridge looking upstream - Egglestone Abbey is just  above the trees in the middle distance (double-click) and is ...



...... visible from the bridge now that the leaves are falling.

The view downstream - there are footpaths on both sides of the river and you can follow it down to its confluence with the River Greta, at the Meeting of the Waters.











The river squeezes through narrow gaps and tumbles over boulders ...


.... and you can hear it through the trees all the way along the path, even when it isn't in spate.







The high humidity in the gorge makes this a fine habitat for mosses and ferns like this polypody growing as an epiphyte on a tree branch over the river.



Yellowing horse chestnut leaves provide a sunbathing spot for flies whose days are numbered, now that frosts are on their way.







Nectar-rich ivy flowers provide a last-minute refuelling station for drone flies.



Shades of yellow - hazel, oak and beech autumn colours.



Some of the large beeches have been attacked by honey fungus - always fatal, but it can take decades to kill the tree.



A nuthatch, dangling down to pick beech nuts out of beech mast - it seems to be a 'mast year', with a very heavy crop.









Ripe holly berries are a reminder that there are only 50 shopping days until Christmas.









Downstream there are some wild cherries with a fiery display of autumn colours..







... and a fine crop of ripe yew berries.



A passing shower leaves a rainbow, which is wasted on those two sheep that are watching - they only have dichromatic vision and can't distinguish red from green.




Looking back upstream - on what Kenneth Grahame in the Wind in the Willows called a 'golden afternoon'...

18 comments:

  1. What a lovely walk! The cherry tree kooks aflame.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The tees is a great river and this is one of it's best stretches.
    I really like the rainbow image....minimalism!

    ReplyDelete
  3. You do have some lovely unspoilt countryside in your part of the country. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a beautiful Autumn walk, you certainly have more colour than over here in Lancashire.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The trees here have been stunning too, I have really enjoyed this autumn, there are still leaves to fall. Your pictures are, as ever, beautiful, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks, Phil, that brought back a few happy memories. It is a stunning part of the world.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi lotusleaf, I think wild cherry is my favourite tree for autumn colour

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Adrian, the rainbow never quite 'touched the ground' at both ends...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi John, Teesdale is particularly lovely in autumn, especially along the riverbank...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Not too many high winds yet David, so there are still quite a lot of leaves on the trees...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi petoskystone, it's one of our favourite walks..

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks toffeeapple, the leaves seem to be staying attached for a long time this year - even ash, which usually loses its leaves quite quickly

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Graeme, I seem to recall that Turner painted this stretch of the river on his northern tour...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Phil, Thanks much for the walk with the photos. Again, really beautiful. Here too along Lake Michigan the Autumn has been beautiful. Just posted some pictures of walks in the area woods. Lots of color, but a reminder that Winter is not too far away. Of course there will be Spring again - I hope. Jack

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hello Jack, Your woodlands look wonderful - there are some trees there that I can recognise. I think we'll lose a lot of our autumn colour by the end of this week - windy weather on he way! All the best, Phil

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.