Smardale, A Hidden World

Smardale Viaduct - Nikon 1 J2

The Smardale Viaduct, that lies disused in rural Northern England, is first and foremost a testimony to the ability and ambition of British engineering and workmanship. Originally built to accommodate locomotive transport, which was destined for the local quarry, this uniquely enclosed valley, has since creative a naturally diverse environment which now sustains a vast array of life. As a keen photographer I tried to capture as much of the diversity as was possible, focusing mostly on the wildlife above the flora and fauna as this is my preferred field, however even here there was such a large scope of life from mammals, to birds and insects. Overall I would thoroughly recommend this valley to any keen nature enthusiast on a fine day - flat walking, stunning views and even a complimentary nudist swimming in the river (short range lens recommended to avoid unwanted intrusion into photographs though!) However, I hope you enjoy this brief diary, of what will be mostly photographs, detailing my time spent in this area. Please note this was my first and only visit in my life so far, and look how much I saw in one go!

Hiding in the greenery - Nikon D7000

 Upon walking just a few meters from the designated parking area down the old railway track, a rustling in the trees was heard and a magical sight appeared. Leaping, bounding and squeaking through the trees were a host of tiny little red squirrels, an unfortunately rare delight in Britain these days. However here, they seem to be in abundance, thriving in the greenwood that lines the sides of the old railway tracks. Unfortunately these little creatures were, as ever, elusive to the camera lens, yet a few shots were successful and the two pictured here were some particular favourites of mine. The first detailing the vivid colour of our native squirrel, its rich red coat standing out obscurely against the leafy green backdrop that it calls home. (Not the best camouflage really yet with their speed and agility this is of little consequence to them) The second photograph shows their stunning and instantly recognisable profile, silhouetted against the bright sky between I was lucky to capture this one traversing its rooftop walkway over head. These delightful little mammals, of which there was a whole family, would have kept me entertained for hours no doubt, however there was much more still to be seen, and so I continued on my path whilst these little squirrels ventured off on their own, no doubt they moved a lot faster than I.

Silhouette - Nikon D7000

Wood Warbler - Nikon D7000

 The next find, still on this same stretch of abandoned railway and still in the greenwood surrounding, was something I don't usually choose to photograph, because of their speed and evasive nature, yet I managed to capture (granted only this one out of twenty shots worked) a Wood Warbler, sitting chirping merrily in the bush right next to the path. This beautiful bird pulled such a magnificent pose for me on this branch that I could not resist the opportunity to capture his profile. I particularly like the vivid green of the foliage around him, contrasted with his yellow throat and beak (forgive my lack of knowledge on what that greenery is, I promise to start paying more attention to it in future.) This Warbler was just one of a whole host of songbirds filling this area, indeed they existed in the hundreds, all different species and tunes, the made quite a magnificent chorus communally and anyone who would but pause a moment would be lucky enough to see every single species that surrounded them I am sure. However, this was the one that fascinated me the most because he was so keen to parade for the camera and so I felt the need to oblige his antics. 

Crane Fly - Nikon D7000

One of my favourite insects, perhaps because of how often it is overlooked for its commonness, is the Crane Fly. Indeed, although I am sure I used to be terrified of these thinking they were some kind of flying spider, after spending a year living in a house which due to its rural location attracted these, I came to find them quite fascinating and strangely beautiful. Perhaps I pity them, they usually get forgotten in favour of the visually appealing insects around them yet they carry on with life, unaffected by their lack of popularity. This is why I have chosen to include this little bug here, because we need to remember that in the biological make-up of an ecosystem, all animals are equally important, not just the pretty ones. However, to contradict my own point I did them immediately discover the stunning Scorpion Fly on a plant a few centimetres to the left and, the Crane Fly having already had its photo taken at least 15 times, this new insect took my attention away. The Scorpion Fly is rather aptly named, because of its spiked curly tail (it looks like a Scorpion's tail, who would have thought) but this is not the beauty of this insect, instead, the detail on its lace like wings, speckled with panes of black in the otherwise clear windows between veins, they lie gently on top of the colourful gloss body, a bold cream with red bands that glistens amongst the undergrowth. These little insects fly well too, gliding quickly from stem to stem they can be found in most meadows and undergrowths and are immediately recognisable - just another insect in the diverse Smardale. 

This concludes the beginning of this adventure along the old Smardale railway, at this point I reached the Viaduct itself and the following instalment will deal with the journey from there onwards, however up to this point, the magnitude of wildlife in this area has already unveiled itself with much more still to come!

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The off season...

Lurking in the undergrowth - Nikon D3000

As a student I rarely get the time to go out and about with my camera as a degree is a full time job and public transport rarely goes anywhere extraordinary and so when I was presented with a few weeks at home over the Christmas holidays I was excited to get back out with my camera and explore the world outside. Winter is a time of year when many of us indeed would prefer to be wrapped up inside with our fires blazing, blankets draped and a hot cup of chocolate in your hands however not me. I will not lie, indeed I love lounging around and enjoying relaxation at home however so rare is the chance to get out with a camera these days that I could not wait. Many people ask me what there is to photograph in this cold, dark and bleak season but my answer is quite simply, "just as much as any other time of year, it depends what you want to photograph." Personally I love the 'grey' seasons as they bring with them a new kind of wonder which is hidden in a world below your feet, a magical world of fairy houses and obscure creations which are not native to planet Earth surely - fungi. 

Nikon D3000

Although I openly admit that my knowledge of the fungal varieties is less than proficient I cannot say that I enjoy photographing them any less than I do insects, in fact the non mobile subject is quite a blessing and it allows for some fantastic shots of depth and detail. Indeed the intricacy and irregularity of mushrooms and toadstools is one of the things that I find most alluring and attractive about them as macro photography is without a doubt my favourite kind of photography as it allows you a closeness to the topic that you cannot always see or appreciate with the naked eye. Again I implore that when you do go out and about look where you tread, watch the trees, look under the leaves, because these beautiful natural creations lurk so silently and so peacefully that you might otherwise never even notice their existence.

They come in all sizes - Nikon D3000

Fungi to me speak of fairy tales. Fact. If you are wondering what I am talking about then go to a book shop and read an Enid Blyton story or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland before you see the inclusion of mushroom within imaginative children's literature, either as houses or as sources of magic. Although I am certainly not inferring that you go out searching for one of them to eat you may go out searching for them and think of magic and wonder and what exactly you could do with them as artistic materials. Personally I like to capture their abstract forms in as much clarity as the camera will allow because I think aesthetically they are stunning and so visually pleasing that nothing else needs doing to them however you can use your imagination and develop them into so much more than mundane features of the woodland undergrowth. 

And you can find them everywhere - Nikon 1 J2

Fungi are also exceptionally fun to go hunting for as you quite simply have to get hands on. Indeed there is nothing more entertaining than observing your father head down in some undergrowth 100 metres away with his camera nose to nose with a fungi and a pine tree spiking his head. Safe to say that this also happens to me although less frequently on account of my smaller size, the trees tend to miss my head! However fungi hunting is a truly magnificent experience and the results are phenomenally rewarding, you never quite know which species you will find, which shape it will be, it could even be a new species altogether given the nature of fungi! Likewise Fungi present a rare opportunity to move yourself from the world beneath your feet to the world above your head as they quite literally possess an inexplicable ability to cling and grow and thrive in any environment no matter how bizarre or unlikely. To find these natural delights you need to pause and consider what you are doing for a moment, look for locations off the beaten track, look for dark groves and damp mossy areas and you are probably in luck! 

Nikon 1 J2

Although earlier stating that these were probably easier to take a photograph of than the insects previously considered in this series that is not to say that they are any easier to photograph overall as arguably a good fungi is harder to find than a good insect as their immobility means that they are hidden until you discover them as opposed to them flying at your head. If they are flying at your head I recommend you take up a new hobby as clearly nature does not like you. That or your dog is scratching at the floor like dogs do, in which case you have no hope of photographing anything. Overall fungi are a rare exception to the world of nature, there is nothing at all conventional about them yet they inspire so much, so go and buy an index of them (as you can tell I didn't) find out where to spot them and go and return to your childhood in the dirt and undergrowth of the forest! Alternatively just take the camera, or your eyes, and go and have a look, because the world is our there waiting, it will not come to you, so you must go to it!