Out for a ramble

Having abandoned the folks to go out on't Moor by themselves last weekend, [while I was swanning around with all the dragons] it was only right to join in the usual 'half decent weather on a Sunday' routine today. On the menu; a gentle 10 mile stroll out to Redlake [old china clay workings, and home of The Heap], across to the Avon, and back down past the reservoir. This part of t' Moor has big rounded grassy hills, without big fancy tors on top [though it does have The Submarine, and a few other notable spots, they are well spaced out]. The views tend to be the same for long periods, then change rapidly when unseen critical points are reached. Reach a crest, turn a corner [or rather, get far enough around a corner] and snap, there's something new.

The wind was brisker than the forecast implied [surprise surprise], so, while the sun shone for most of the day, the only odonata were seen at the sheltered bits of Redlake - Golden-ringed, Common Hawker, and Black Darter Dragons, plus Azure, Common Blue, and Emerald Damsels. While looking for dragons at redlake, I accidentally flushed the bird of the day - a Green Sand [what it thought it was doing on the High Moor I don't know..]. Plenty of the usual moorlands species also, including Wheatears. Non-bird moorland species also much in evidence were the dreaded Flying Red Ants of Doom, who were out in their billions [arg].

I also finally saw the mythical clapper bridge over the Avon. Ok, I suppose I would have to say the actual clapper bridge over the Avon, now. The mythical bit stems from an incident many years ago, when it was looked for but not found [a story much more interesting than it sounds] [Really]. The folks claimed to have not only seen it but crossed it several years ago, but personally I had my doubts that a 'great big proper clapper bridge' could just be sitting around on the high moor in the middle of nowhere. I was wrong. Its there and its a good one.

There's also some very good looking habitat up the Avon [and at Redlake] - a trip earlier in the year on a day of slightly less wind and cloud would seem promising for interesting damselfly species..