Back On The Moor. :D

A smiley in the title... What madness is this??


Well, feeling a lot better as I [hoped I] recovered from the over-prolonged plague, I could not stay off the Moor. Despite the weather involving frisky wind and great big frick-off showers. Including hail. And thunderbolts [though I wasn't expecting those, to be fair].


I didn't do anything too crazy, just a standard winter light trip; Cherrybridge to Laughter Tor. It was blowy and I got rained and hailed on hard, but that's what being prepared is for. I picked my lunch spot - where I've sat before with similar aims in past winters - with care and was utterly delighted when it paid off. Yes, the perspicacious among you who know what's been wandering about Dartmoor this Autumn/ Winter will have an idea now and be going ".....!!"

The rest will have to scroll down past some scenery, because I didn't want to advertise this one in the thumbnail [I'm rewarding loyal readers, despite it being total clickbait].

Right,

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Ahem.

Bellever Tor

Very nice hut circles

[Bellever ridge is great for the archaeology]

Goldfinches more helpful than Crossbills this time

Ok, time for the main event;

Grey Ghost

Hen Harrier.

Adult male.

YAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!

Ahem.

Yes, awful pictures; out of focus, off-centre, etc. etc. But I don't see a huge number of pics of this glorious chap around, so Something's better than Nothing, right? And he was a way off, behind scenery, and - worst of all - interrupting a Marmite and treacle sarnie*..!! [::Gasp!::]

Ahem again.


In my defence, it's been about 12 years since I last saw an adult male**, so perhaps I can be allowed a little fangirling?


In other bird news; Crossbills present in small groups, a pack of 18 Woodpigs flew north, a lone Stock Dove flew south [?], the usual spp. were in the plantation and other usuals out in the open, but unsurprisingly - given weather - it was fairly quiet.


Finally, yes fungi!

Yellowleg Bonnet

Yellow Webcap..?

Turf Mottlegill..??
[Markedly different in field from the above, btw,
even though it comes out - via flash - more 'yellowy'!]

Also lots of Common Earthballs, but no photos came out :( and the usual Sulphur Tufts, which I've shot so many times I'm stopping unless I meet some truly spectacular ones.
Instead;

More pretty scenery.
Looking out from Laughter Tor.

You see that thin strip of rough grassland pretty much centre shot? Yes, that's where the HH was. Right in the near bit, coming in and out of view behind the hill slope as he quartered the little valley hidden in there. I had to leg it up to the stone wall to get those pics!


What had seemed like an exercise in good form - a walk and trying-but-failing-to-see-what-I-hoped-for - turned out to be something wonderful.

Definitely worth getting weather-blasted for!

:D


Be Seeing You...



[[*What?!?! They're delicious. And great for using up a left-over end of a loaf. {Hmm, I may say more on this in a future post.}]]
[[**Why are adult males so scarce*** compared to females and immatures? Well, population balance must be part of it {lots of young ones each Autumn}, but it can't be entirely that; after all, males are plumaged for hunting proficiency, so should survive better, right? I wonder, perhaps, if maybe the fact that they stick out so well to us humans has something to do with it? After all, a brown ringtail is just as vulnerable to trapped posts and poisoned bait, but against a heathery background is far harder to see than a grey male. Especially for walking filth**** with a shotgun.]]
[[***I've now seen two in the last twenty years, ringtails are pretty much annual, especially if I head to the Levels in winter.]]
[[****That's as polite as I can get. {Another future post probably required}]]