Out For A Jolly

One of the many issues caused by the Great Heat Of 2018 [it's a thing, wait and see] is my lack of yomping. It has just been too hot for swanning about up down and yonder.


Not any more. :)

With the weather less suitable for seawatching, there really was only one thing to do. No, not go down to 'Gwarra anyway [fun though that would be].

Yup, out for a jolly up on t'Moor!


Where to go? Easy; Wild Tor!

I took the loop I last walked last year, from Scorhill

Rowans in berry

Still scorch patches from the drought

  

The North Teign vale

Watern Tor - Wild Tor

  to the White Moor Circle,

White Moor Circle 

from the White Moor Stone

 then south to Wild Tor,

That Place

 where I sat on my behind - safely out of the wind - and enjoyed the view.

"Mipits, sir, 'undreds of 'em!"

Lots of Mipits, all around and indeed above; I counted 27 in view at one point and I do not doubt there were more! So many, that they attracted attention

The best my camera would allow

Buzzard vs Mipit? Oh dear..


When I moved on, I crossed over to Watern Tor,

The Thurlestone

 then took the Pole Bridge over Teign,

North Teign -

pole bridge ford

passed along Shovel Down and then via the clappers

Grockle shot 1

Grockle shot 2

to Scorhill Tor for another pause,

Hmm, what's that?

Noisy young thing

Juv. Buzzard

 before home again. Simples.

About my wanderings, I came across a few interesting things and some even stayed put long enough to photograph. Others were amazingly stalkable, such as this youngling;

Redstart!

After a bit of stalking, it stayed down, but then a handy sheep put it up nicely!

Speaking of juveniles...

One

Two

Three

Four

Got them all! It's still sort of Summer while there are Wheatears. :D

"I'm a Skylark!"

Drying the tail in the sunshine

"So how many Mipit pics is he going to use?"

"Too many, and he hasn't even seen the Buff-bellied over there..!"

Itsa Buzzard

Crossbills!

Star of the 'Heard but not seen' brigade was of all things a Redshank. The highly distinctive call was not what I was expecting to hear up on high Moor, and it took a little while of me going "Arrrrgh, I know that call, I know that call" before it finally clicked.. They are supposed to occasionally wander 'far inland', or maybe it got blown there..?


Now for some slightly better-focused pictures, as Autumn is definitely around the corner. How do we know? Observe;

Dung Roundhead

[Now they're easy!]

Egghead Mottlegill

Field Mushroom

The Deceiver 
[Teeny extra-deceivey ones]

And finally... Butterflies were limited to Small Heaths, which evaded decent imaging, but while the majority of dragonflies did likewise, one paused at just the right moment;

Common Darter flight shot!

Yes, Golden-ringed, Common Hawker, and Black Darter are all very pretty, but if this is the trade-off it's worth it  :D


15km over very good going - the ground softened by the rain but not yet muddy - in a brisk wind that wasn't cold. Yeah, not bad at all.



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