We continue the sequence of overly-late, overly-long, yet still somehow far too brief posts.
Time having passed in ever-greater amounts, it is of course harder to remember what the frick I was even doing, over and above the notes in diary and notebook. Which makes telling interesting and sometimes even accurate tales ever more difficult in turn.
I am forced to balance required brevity with trying to make things legible. [For the usual debatable definition of legible]
So we shall see - back in the mists of three months ago [yes, really... Oh the shame] - how this goes;
Having succeeeded* - after a lot of effort, it must be noted - in not only finding Patch Wheatears at Hope's Nose but also seeing - and getting a lots of other people on - the Bittern of Bowling Green, I was a happier-than-recently birder. And also no longer tied to a [self-imposed and not entirely sane **] drive, able to consider doing Other Things.
Like get up on t'Moor.
The Moor, The Moor! Ach, there's nothing like it. [Yes, there are other uplands, but they are all too small or too glaciated. 😛]
Ahem.
I have a list of things I very much like to do every year, places to go and so on. One of them is to go and see The Man. And he is a man, the Beardown Man, as you can easily tell when approaching from the south. 😉 😇
The day after my precious Wheatear, I was up on t'Moor and off to Beardown Tors, Lydford and Devil's Tors, paying my respects, then Rough Tor, Crow Tor, and back via Beardown again. It's a nice loop, bar one impressive hillock that you almost literally climb. This time my best sighting was a group of 8 Golden Plover, plus an interesting thrush sp. flyover, and it was all hazy sunshine and 'I'm glad the horseflies aren't out yet' balmy goodness.
The following weekend, a late start saw me seeing another favourite menhir - the Laughing Man - on my way to lunch at Huccaby Tor. No yearticks, but a nice time. For somewhere so close to such a busy road - for Dartmoor - it's very quiet.
There then follow Challacombe-Vitifer loops and Emsworthy visits repeatedly, with yearticks including Willow Warbler, Redstart, Cuckoo and so on.
This cycle was interrupted at the end of April by a proper walk, and another of my Required Things To Do;
Wild Tor!
I had foolishly hoped that right before ten tors it would be quiet up there as the teams rested before the main event. Ho ho frickin' ho.
I am an old man and have forgotten how much energy you have as a teenager....
Yet another invisibly reeling Gropper was the best bird to tell you about [One day I will see one reel. One day.] and away from the chattering hordes [oh my days but the yapping.! I suppose it's just what they're used to on their phones, vocalised out of desperation?] it was as lovely as the high Moor always is.
Speaking of high, last month I walked the length of Hamel Down and this month the length of Corndon Down [one a bit longer than the other, 'tis true], in slightly different weathers - though wind was involved both times - though both without yearticks. I hadn't been up Corndon for many a long year, and it was good to be back there, seeing many views from different perspectives. Also Mistle Thrushes.
Getting up to date - on this topic, at least - yet another Vitifer-Challacombe loop on Sunday. This time with the Folks, sunshine, and a wonderful Red Kite! Picked up by Mum while it was below us [no bins, either] as we were approaching Birch Tor; "That doesn't look like a Buzzard". It thermalled up, showing wonderfully, before heading off west.
I have more to post - been to other places to see other things - but this is something, at least.
I shall [and hopefully far more directly]
Be Seeing You...
[[* Yes, typo, yes left in as it amused me.]]
[[** But what is sane? And Who Decides What Is Truly Sane? Me. So, entirely reasonable and rational then. 😁 ]]
