A' Yomping We Will Go

Well... A' yomping I did go.

As threatened, I did something different today and ignored a Devon tick in favour of spending the day wandering t' Moor. The weather was threatening, with a brisk wind and big black clouds flying around, but no rain did fall upon me, and the solitude was glorious!

I've walked over almost all of t'Moor, but Ter Hill is one of the little exceptions - I've been around it but not on it. So this was changed, and I also played cross-tag and picked up 6 of them, just for fun. Lunch was had at Fox Tor, one of those interesting little places that sit off the main routes, but let you see a lot of what passes by. Its not a huge impressive outcrop by any means, and its claims to fame - naming the Mire below and having the first of the Four to be completely stolen - aren't really to do with it at all. That being said, somewhere to sit out of the wind and with a view is a valuable thing up there, and what it lacks in scale it more than makes up for in atmosphere. This is a winter tor, somewhere to give a little respite from the elements [though only a little], not somewhere you go on a warm summer's evening for a picnic. Here you hear only the wind through the grass and while you can see roads, you're set apart from them. I like it.

Between Fox Tor and Ter Hill lie the upper reaches of the Swincombe and a lot of tin workings - there's some very good-looking habitat for odonata here, and its definitely one to remember for next year. Nothing today though - far too cold and windy [though saying that, it wasn't really cold - no less than 18 degrees on the thermometer]. I annotate my map of Dartmoor [and indeed all my maps], and among several paths and other sites of interest, I've confirmed to myself that contrary to my OS, Foxtor Mire does extend up the Swincombe valley as far as the 360m contour [if not more]. Some of the wetter bits have very deep holes and channels lurking innocently under the greenery, so I'd advise crossing higher up if you're ever going that way [[I know how this sounds, but I can't help it; the Moor is dangerous if you're not careful, etc etc...]].

Aaanyway... I had a fun day. I also saw a few birds of interest - 3 Wheatear still around, 3 Raven messing around on the crosses on Ter Hill, and the star bird a dashing [is there any other kind?] male Merlin. A few Swallows were moving south - the ones close enough to age were all adults.