An Easter daffodil over Thixendale.

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An Easter daffodil wakes newts over Thixendale as the sheltered dew pond is warmed in the spring sun. The pond is high above Thixendale village, on the road to Fridaythorpe in a sheltered spot where icy winds cannot reach. The clear shallow water is full of life. Water beetles skim as if on a skiff,  below in the water, strands of dark beads, the spawn of toads. And yes, just there, I spot an early adapter wriggle briefly before disappearing. I kneel and stay motionless at the edge of the pond. I can see bright spots, an orange tint,  a small, bladed tail with a kingfisher blue streak, it is a common newt, more correctly a smooth newt. It is a male and remains upturned, I wonder if it there is something wrong with it, but before long many energized, smaller, duller newts converge towards it. Then it moves, it is a small dragon. I hope the embryonic toad spawn produces some viable toads, though with so many newts it will be difficult. Then I remind myself that it has always been so, and that, though there will be casualties there will also be survivors. In the centre of the pond, pale dead rushes still stand providing an escape forest shelter. These ponds may well be visited by predators which will seek the newts but they will need to be quick as the newts will soon leave the pond and mysteriously vanish in the grasses and under stones. I have often thought of painting this view only to be defeated by the weather. So it was good to be able to manage this sketch in the unusually warm sun of an Easter weekend Saturday. I was very pleased to see that the pub had been reopened as well. I spotted someone walking on the cricket pitch below and noticed the lone daffodil which was about to open, how appropriate on this Easter weekend. Which reminds me of the amazing accommodation hereabouts especially for walkers and tourists, a good place to stay locally is Country Huts at Thixendale.

PS...returned home to discover that I had dropped a pen there. The next day FSD found it, when we had traveled there with LM. Phew what a relief, the weather was cold with a disappointing sea roke making visibility poor. We decided the cooler weather was possibly why the newts were less active than the day before making them so difficult to spot.

Happy Easter everyone.

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