The Missing Week

Between two very different seawatches was, of course, mostly spent working. Blech.

There were also two trips up on t'Moor with the Folks - something that hasn't happened much this year, what with weather, birds and the huge amount of livestock up there [due to the weather being so good for the grass].

The day after Prawle, we went for quite a meander around the moorland Teign. Starting at Scorhill we took in Shovel Down, nearly Watern Tor, Fernworthy, and almost Kestor Rock. The many deviations [our path resembled a squished trefoil] were due to the large herds of cattle, with calves, which seemed to have been placed carefully to frustrate us. We'd decided that Little Black Dogs and cattle [always with sheep in attendance, naturally] were not conducive to a nice vaguely peaceful walk. Yes, they usually just get up and stare at her, but it only takes one silly one and we didn't want to have to worry about it.

We did get a very different walk, covering some new ground, we found a new picnic site where we were treated to flyby hirundines at grass-skimming level - more House Martins than Swallows - and saw 4 Common Hawkers and a Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Unusually all 5 dragons were quite showy, which made a pleasant change. A couple of Wheatears were still knocking about the walls, too. :)

The day before Berry Head, we took and afternoon stroll around the Vitifer, Sousson's, Challacombe, Headland Warren loop. Again a big herd of annoyingly placed cattle [this time in the field between Challacombe and Golden Dagger] caused a detour, but we did get to wander along a nice lane. No Wheatears this time, and just the one Common Hawker. We did, however, meet some surprise cattle in deep bracken up near Headland - Highlands! With very pointy horns and everything.. They were also very unbothered by Little Black Dogs barking at sheep, for which we were duly thankful. It was another nice walk, no huge drama or excitement, and we had a nicely relaxed coffee at Hidden Tor.

In between those walks, I got down to Town and counted 5 Turnstone but no Purple Sands on Haldon Pier in bright sunshine on Friday and on the Saturday morning I tried the Nose for migrants. No Magnolia Warblers, Lancies, Ortolans, or even Yellow-brows for me; the best I could find was a Garden Warbler among the Blackcaps, and that mostly sulked and swore at me... Plenty of Chiffs were in, and parties of Mipits were moving overhead, but the only Willow Warbler I could find wasn't even there [it was in a garden on IMD]. A lone Wheatear at Sandy Point was some consolation, looking very cute indeed.


So, there you have it. Missing week un-missed.

Finally, a group of Linnets south over Town yesterday afternoon, also the resident Grey Wagtails [I still can't get over that - the Fleet is entirely underground!] being vocal.

I keep looking at all this stuff that's been arriving and wondering about what's getting past me. Bladdy Days.....






B/N: Hidden Tor is not on any map other than mine that I know of, also technically not a proper Tor. But then neither are several others and the whole 'official' nomenclature thing is daft and contradictory anyway. If you want to find it you already know the general area, but as I'm nice I'll give you a clue; you can see it from Rough Tor. ;)