HaHaHaHaHaHa

Hmmm... Manic laughter and a big lump of granite. Someone's been up on t'Moor again, hasn't he?

Sunday afternoon saw me out with the Folks again, up on t'Moor again [called it*], munching baked goods again, and getting done over by lying weather forecasters again....

We took a toddle up to Laughter Tor - one of my favourites - and sat drinking coffee, munching flapjacks, and trying to enjoy the view through all the mistyfog [you know, which was supposed to have gone by lunchtime and was only around the coast anyway...]

Ahem.

It was, to be fair, periodically sunny, and then it was very nice indeed. Quite quiet [can't think why..?], well, except when Her Horribleness saw a couple of unlucky sheep... 

First up, some scenery;

The Laughing Man,

and Laughter Tor

I don't believe this standing stone has a 'proper' name, but I can't not call him that!

He has a rather robbed double stone row, too - as you may remember from a past post when I was this way a couple or three years ago... - but with a newtake wall driven through it, it's hard to photo from his end.

Wheatear!

Just the one, but very nice.

Wheatear inna Hawthorn!

Not often seen. :)

Getting all arty in the mist...

The usual birds you'd expect were about, in low numbers, but you expect that, too. Of note; a couple of Chiffs working the Hawthorns and Rowans around the Tor, a flyby flock of 24 Linnet, and 3 Crossbill messing about the plantation.

Most activity came from insects, with passing Peacock, Red Admiral, and Small Tortoiseshells, and assorted 'little pale ones', which I was able [lovely when you stay put for a while] to get a couple on photo;

Er....

[I can't find this in either book...]

Welsh Wave

But most activity was from these little 'darlings'...

Flying Ant!!!!

Likely Woodland Red Ant

[Myrmica ruginodis]

Also of interest;

Common Water Boatman

[Corixa punctata]

This made the classic 'mistake shiny car for a pond' mistake...

And finally;

Ye Olde Busse Sheltere??

Funky little thing by the road.

 

But.

Just think of the circle* destroyed to make that... [And so many walls, gateposts, roads {smashed into hardcore} and so on. Not just on Dartmoor, but once that would have been all of Britain.  ::Sigh:: ]

Anyways, it was a very nice afternoon, despite the naughty weather [I feel I've written this a few times recently...?]

And certainly better than inficting more nasty grainy gull shots on you, right?

Be Seeing You...

[[* You weren't expecting sanity in this post, were you?? It's not Madman's Laughter Tor for nothing, you know... ]]

[[** Look at those beautiful stones, those had to be taken from something.]]