I Did Not Expect That. Or That.

Casting one's mind back a week or so... You may remember there was this whole 'super warm sunny thing' going on in February? Right, good.


All the sunshine going on was just too much, so I had to get up on the Moor. Despite still not being right. Gentle exercise would be the thing.

I figured I'd have a simple easy amble, spend some time enjoying a view, then amble back.

All very scenic

I certainly didn't expect to see Swallows flying across the road in front of me by the Prince Hall Hotel! Two Swallows in February?!?! What the actual?????

It was more like May if not July, with toasty sunshine, fairly light winds, and hordes and hordes of grockles everywhere! [Well, they drove like they'd never been off a road without a centre line, anyway...]

Ahem.


Continuing the theme in a more productive manner, as I was ambling across the sun-washed grass, I was serenaded by Skylarks and even the odd Mipit. Not just one or two; between the Pumphouse and Great Mis Tor I counted 9 singing Skylarks - that's pretty much a full load.

Skylark

"I'm not singing until you put that camera away"

It got so that I was half-expecting to see Wheatears...!! [Then we hear of one on Lundy, so not that insane a thought!]
Didn't, but did find some grassland fungi;

Most fungi on rough grassland are

Dung Roundhead

But not all of them;
a Panaeolus spp.

Anyways, I ambled up to Great Mis, tapped the flagpole [it's obligatory], then found a spot with a view.

Gotta love a bit of Granite

Crispy..

Well-baked xenolith

Oh, you thought I meant the scenery?? :)

Looking over the Walkham

Lump of Granite

[oh dear]

Brent Tor*

Aside from the wind waiting until I was just about to pour the coffee before shifting 30°.. :( It was all lovely.

Set up in a more sheltered spot [did I mention the wind also kicked up a notch at the same time?], I then spent a merry hour watching the world go by. I had a slim hope of a Red Kite [there's a few in the county] but no dice. Still, there were a few things to look at other than Buzzards

Raven lunatics!

But also of the non-avian variety

Hackers [the old definition],

the greener kind of riding

Also catching the eye, in one of the more permanent pools;

Water Starwort

All very scenic

Be Seeing You...


[[*Some, on seeing this piece of the landscape, think 'church on hill', others think 'ooh, nice volcanics', still others think 'Badger Girl!'.. :D ]]