Olympic Flame

June 23 2012: The Olympic Flame at its Loveclough starting point, after visiting Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley. It was heading for Crawshawbooth, Rawtenstall. Rochdale then Manchester.

Great support from crowds. Three generations of our family watched it: our daughter Gemma, me  and our eldest grandchild, Josh. Lovely.


Cobden Farm B and B website

June 22 2012: Sabden Brook, on the way to Cobden Farm. Usually, you can paddle across.

A few hours later it was even higher. Not bad for the first day of summer.

Cobden Farm B and B website

Gooseander route

Mother Gooseander and brood have a treacherous route down to the brook...following a stream in a steep sided gulley. I wonder how many survive?


Cobden Farm B and B website

Gooseander latest news...

Just spotted Mother Gooseander setting off with her brood down to Sabden Brook. Eleven days earlier than in 2011.
The last gooseanderling to join MG and family is pictured preparing to jump off the farmhouse roof.
Click on the tiny blob between the two chimneys.
The nest is in the unused chimney on the left of the photo.



Cobden Farm B and B website

Where are our swallows? They're very late arriving this year...

Cobden Farm B and B website

The gooseander is nesting again in a chimney pot (unused) on the farmhouse roof. (We've seen the male and the female on the pond or flying about. So they've definitely turned up for the third year.)
There's a duck laying eggs in the middle of a thick shrub in the garden.
She appears, with her two drake pals who live round the pond, at sheep feeding time to share the sheep proven.
Next thing, we'll be seeing the swallows arriving in early April.


Cobden Farm B and B website

Hat trick

The gooseanders have arrived for the third year running. The female was swimming on the pond this morning. Just four days later than in 2011. Amazing. They've a better idea of time than I have.

Cobden Farm B and B website