BLACKSHAW HEAD, COLDEN, WIDDOP ...... removing GNB posters and litter picking

 How can such a lovely day be a sad day? 

Twice a year Neil D and Kasher make a date with ground nesting birds (GNBs) . . . the first date is in March when we welcome back our curlews, meadow pipits, golden plover etc by putting up brilliantly designed posters. These are meant to remind people to care about ground nesting birds and to keep their dogs on short leads when out in the countryside or on the moors.

The second date is when we take the posters down once the birds and their youngsters have left our area . . . and we start thinking about late Summer, Autumn and the delights of a Calderdale Winter.

Today was GNB poster removal day.... 

Today's work was funded by generous individual donations to CROWS.

If anyone would like some posters to put up next year please let us know.

As well as removing the posters, we also took the opportunity to do some light way-marking to replace those waymarks that have mysteriously disappeared. We also turn one small red Yaris into a Tardis-like litter picking vehicle as we litter picked along the route from Slack to the boundary with Brierfield.

The reservoirs are very dry....

Neil D enjoying his lunch break with some very friendly (and hot)
sheep.

Did we really put a poster on this tree? . . . YES!

Another GNB poster taken down to be used again next year.

The swallows are also getting ready to leave us for another year.

Ground Nesting Birds posters and litter picking

 It's mid-March - the time to put up the 'Ground Nesting Birds' posters.

Neil D and Kasher commenced this annual task by putting posters in areas where there are curlew, lapwing, skylarks, meadow pipits etc. We were rewarded with the fantastic sights and sounds of these moorland birds as well as an amazing low level fly past from a Kite when we were enjoying our coffee and cake at the end of the day at May's shop!

As well as putting up the posters, we took the opportunity to check out stiles, markerposts, boardwalks etc which may be in need of repair. Problems found will be added to the CROWS "to do" list.

We also spent significant time today picking up litter along the road from Blake Dean to the Briercliffe boundary. See https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/the-great-british-spring-clean/ .

Please let us know if you could put a poster up in your area to raise awareness of the need to do more to protect our ground nesting birds.

Thanks to everyone who makes a donation to CROWS to support our work. It really is appreciated.

Poster at the top of Blake Dean.

and another . . . 

Not sure I can get any more bags of litter
into the car!

Neil D enjoying his job. No training required . . . 
. . . you just pick it up as you go along!

Let's hope we can keep the curlews safe this year.

Neil D putting up a poster on Edge Lane.

CALDERDALE WAY - Brighouse to Todmorden

 Last year we responded to a request from Calderdale Tourism to help promote the Calderdale Way.

One of the elements of the project has been installing interpretation boards around the route. Each board talks about the Calderdale Way, but also suggests some specific local walks. Many thanks to Emily Stevenson who has tirelessly kept the project on target and raised the money to fund it, Andy Geall who produced some terrific maps and Keith Devine who did the overall design work. 

The main CROWS role was to research locations and erect the boards. This was funded  by Friends of Calderdale Countryside.

Brighouse station near the start of the Calderdale Way

 At Jerusalem Farm

                                                               

At Mytholmroyd railway station

At Withens Clough Reservoir

With the manager of the Last Post at Ripponden

 

Heptonstall - just resting because the backboard needs replacing

Todmorden station - a chance meeting between Emily and Bernard (a CROWS founder member).

There will be a second tranche of boards ready in November. 

Another part of the promotion is a new YouTube video to encourage visitors to walk the route.  

BLACKSHAW HEAD, WIDDOP..... and many locations in-between!

 The day started on a sombre note for Neil D and Kasher as we watched the swallows gather together on telegraph wires to start their long journey back home (or is this home??).

In March we drive round lanes and tracks of the Upper Calder Valley putting up 'Ground Nesting Bird' posters . . . and now, in August, we drive around the same tracks removing these posters. All would be well . . . if only we could remember exactly where we had put them!

Thanks to the many landowners and walkers who have also put up these eye catching posters. If you could now help to take them down it would be really appreciated.

While we out we also did a litter collection. The waste and rubbish which had been wantonly discarded along the verges and ditches of the roads (especially beyond Blake Dean) completely filled the back of our vehicle.

We also improved some way marking and identified a number of other tasks which needed to go on the "to do" list - the next few weeks are going to be busy.

Today's work has been funded by very generous individual donations to CROWS. Many thanks.

First find your poster . . . this one was near Blake Dean.

Neil D removing this year's posters.

One more to be removed at the NT car park.

A gate to be repaired in the near future.

Neil sorting out some way-marking.

CALDERDALE WAY above Wainstalls

 Wainstalls: Calderdale Way:

This stretch of path was reported by a couple who recently completed the whole route (80 km of walking with about 2600 m of climbing). 

Lots of cutting back was needed and four stiles required different kinds of attention from the team of Andy, Steve, Jerry and Angus.  This work was funded by Calderdale Highways.

 

 

Top end of footpath before strimming.

Cutting back needed before two lower legs and treadboard on the stile were replaced.

Top section: cutting back in progress.

Treadboard replaced

New treadboard and legs

Another section being strimmed

Before and after

CALDERDALE WAY - above Wainsgate

 Ginny and Rich followed up reported problems with a bridge and some stiles above Wainstalls. 

The plank bridge had a steep drop into the steam and its slippery surface (as reported) would be lethal in wet weather. The underfoot grip was improved by adding rows of staples. 

Three of the five stiles that we checked were in very poor condition and difficult to negotiate. Measurements were taken and jobsheets written for a future work party. 

However, doing this on the day of the Calderdale Way Relay Race (90 teams took part!) was perhaps not the best of ideas - we had to get off the path every 10 minutes or so!

Today's work was funded by 'Just Giving' donations to CROWS.

 The details

                                                                        Treadboards rotten

                                                    The whole structure is very difficult to cross

                                                            Stapling . . . with four-legged supervisors

                                                    Another stile about to collapse
 

WARLEY - Westfield

Guy Steve and Rich went to deal with two reported problems - a section of very poor drainage and almost non-existent waymarking. The path is part of the 'Walk around Warley Village' produced by 'Friends of Calderdale Countryside', so it is well used. 

Today's work was funded by Calderdale Council Highways.

 The details

The path leading up to Westfield was very wet with deep mud. After much exploration we failed to find any source of the water. The only solution we could come up with is to channel off the water to the field edge and put down the stones we dug up. Rough and ready but it should be an improvement. 

 

 

It was clear that people were walking up to the top of the field, partly to avoid the quagmire, so we added a post to indicate the path.  

The final job was to add waymarks to all the junctions (that is, apart from having to wash all the mud off the tools . . . and us!). 

CALDERDALE WAY - underground Halifax

Mo and Rich went to sort out the Calderdale Way link path from Salterhebble to Halifax railway station. The canal-side path from Salterhebble is a lovely route all the way to the Shears pub (greatly recommended), but from there it has become very neglected and pretty impassable. A new route has been devised and today's task for Mo and Rich was to waymark the route and clear one small section going under the railway. 

Today's work (a bit out of our area) was funded by Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd Walkers Action who are contributing to the relaunch of the Calderdale Link paths on the Heart of the Pennines website. 

First job was to clear all the rubbish off the path under the railway and scrape off lots of mulch. Much nicer to walk up on to the fabulous railway bridge over Eureka - a real gem.

Further down we cut back encroaching vegetation and scraped off a lot of mulch across the setted road (the photo doesn't do it justice)

The final job was to waymark the route from the Shears pub to the railway station (13 waymarks). 

The Link paths allow you to plan shorter circular walks on the Calderdale Way. They have all been waymarked but are being checked and detailed directions and maps are being uploaded to the Heart of the Pennines website (work in progress). https://heartofthepennines.org.uk/calderdale-way/

WAINSTALLS clearing a boardwalk on the Calderdale Way

 Lynda, Linda, Jerry and Ginny dug deep on the boardwalks that had almost disappeared on the Calderdale Way at Wainstalls.  This was the original situation.

Boardwalk under water

Getting the water under the sleeepers

But after a lot of back breaking work----

It can now (almost) be walked without wellies!

Thank you for donation from Calderdale Ramblers