Swad'le Yow.

Translation: a quick portrait of a sheep, the breed is Swaledale and it is a ewe (female for any foreigners).   Being Saturday we were at the Lodge prepping.  Unfortunately the guests had been told by the booking agency departure was 10:00 rather than the new regime of 9:00.

The "Yow" was in an adjacent field as I wandered along to the bins and the recycling.  As always I shoot anything at all blip worthy.  Which is just as well as the shots I took of the moth didn't turn out well, out of focus.

The breed as the name suggests originated in Swaledale yorkshire.  UK sheep breeds have developed in small local areas and most are named accordingly.  Now the Swaledale is a common sheep for high ground, they are hardy and thrifty (can do well on poor pasture).  This makes them idea for crossing with a lowland breed such as the Leicester.  The offspring locally known as "greyfaces" more nationally as "mules".   The "mules" are hardy, thrifty. From the lowland breed high milkability and prolificacy (regularly having twins and even triplets)