Sunshine And Siskins

Pretty much sums up Sunday. I went up on't Moor, though the long yomp I'd been planning was altered to a shorter 'bit of a wander and a lot of a sit and see what flies past' by pinging my knee the evening before. [No damage done, but better safe than sorry].


So I went up to Bellever, and over to Madman's Laughter Tor, and then back around Bellever quite a bit, before getting mobile and checking assorted promising-looking areas for possible birds with white bits. I didn't find any of them, or any other yearticks come to that, but I did have a nice day [getting bitten by Bellever Tor aside] and there were [as you might expect for the title] Siskins everywhere.


Shedloads of 10Torsies too, many sporting matching rucksack covers in various shades of 'aaarrgh my eyes......'. Now, I've nothing against rucksack covers - they're wonderfully useful things - but normally they're meant for when it's, you know, raining? Oh never mind...


Also of note, some considerate soul has hacked down all the shrike perches conifers that had seeded on the slopes south and west of Laughter Tor. And just left them there. Now, I can sort of see the justification in preserving the 'moorland', but to just leave the felled trees [even the teeny foot-high ones were cut, though not the bigger trees south of Bellever, I notice] lying there.. I suppose somebody may be along later? With my poor Noble Fir looking like its dying of exposure*, I can't help but feel a little vexed.


Time for a piccie, I think.

They've been busy getting their swaling in, and as I had a quick look about Vitifer, I noticed some interesting interaction between a gorse fire plume [from just south of Sousson's plantation] and a layer of thin stratus cloud that was moving over..

Pyrogene cumulus over Sousson's

This looked really cool; properly boiling clouds, very volcanic [understandably - same process!].








[[*Live xmas tree, now living on my balcony**. Apparently, young conifers don't like being out in the wind; it's going worryingly brown everywhere the wind hits, despite being as sheltered as I can get it without building it an enclosure.]]
[[**If it survives, not only environmentally and fiscally prudent, but also a source of winter aphids for any passing YBWs.. ;) ]]