The South West: Moors & Tors

Since my last post, Autumn has been and pretty much gone.

The cemetery 

I've had a spontaneous trip to Norfolk, where the sun set over the dunes at Holkham at low tide. The wind picked up waves of dried sand, and whipped them across the beach. It was the same trip that the wind and rain completely trashed the tent, bending the poles and pinning the outer sheets over the top of us as we attempted to sleep.

Holkham

And! An incredible treat, where a few of the team from Whipsnade Zoo got to meet four beautiful wolves at the Anglian Wolf Society.

Wolf!

Now, winter has slowly gripped the country. Bitter winds numb the bloodflow to the tips of the fingers. Occasional storms have battered the land. And a trip to Cornwall ensued.


Sam joined me as we spent a few days in Cornwall, exploring the moors and my favourite coastline on the planet. Not that I have seen much, or enough, of Earths coasts! Our first walk was to Rame Head. A rugged headland that juts out into the channel, with views of Plymouth and the Mewstone to the East, Whitsand Bay to the West and 180 degrees of what appears endless sea to the South.

Rame Head

Here, Dartmoor ponies grazed the moorland, as kestrels hovered along the cliff edges. Their heads motionless as their wings beat furiously and their rudder-like tail controlled them in the wind. After an unsuccessful dive, the kestrel perched on a nearby telegraph pole. A small, beautifully intricate bird of prey.

Pony

A small herd of fallow deer at the base of the cliffs froze. For a moment motionless, their ears pricked up, faces stared directly at us. The moment passed. White bums flashed as the deer skipped through the wind worn vegetation.

Fallows in the distance!

The next day we ventured out across Bodmin moor, an area packed with old mines, railways and ruins, topped off with stunning panoramic views from the tops of the granite exposed tors.

View from the top! A great place to eat lunch (and drop it all over the floor)

We climbed to the top of Kilmar Tor. After we had watched many hail storms pass in the distance, our fortune faded as the sinister grey clouds were swept above us. Hail showered to the ground, springing off of the bare rock faces and stinging the face.

Climbing a tor on Bodmin moor

We were not alone in enjoying this beautiful moorland, as mischievous cows, disguised as orcas, grazed their day away.

Orcows...

And of course, what is a trip to Devon and Cornwall without a walk along the raw and rugged wildlife rich coastline?

The sun sets over the Mewstone, Wembury

I apologise for the  severe delays in any form of blog. A new venture has begun, as I have decided to take on the challenge of making wildlife films. I have started a blog here: Riverbank Movies.

The plan is to create lots of mini-episodes featuring exciting wildlife that people can enjoy easily, or with not too much effort and little expense, and show them how to connect and enjoy with it. I would love to reach people that are not already wildlife savvy and aware, and inspire them to become so. Which will probably mean I will have to pester people with 'please share' messages. I apologise in advance. That is two apologies in as many paragraphs...

Anyway, I have been filming with the Shark Trust in Devon, in touch with Hunstanton Sealife Centre, and am already making some good contacts and have got enough material to fully complete a short episode about grey seals. So keep your eyes peeled! I am on facebook, twitter and youtube now as well! Any ideas, tips, advice - please feel free to share ! 

Thank ya'll for reading!! Much appreciated.

Devonshire Mackerel, Ivel Springs and an Albino...

The second part of May was spent back at home, on the UK mainland, where I got to find my land-lubbing legs again. Cannot beat a nice riverside walk after being at sea on the same ship for 14 days, only stepping off every now and then for a couple of hours to grab a cup of tea and stretch the legs a bit. Along the river, amongst the recent spring growth on the woodland floor, this Green-Veined White Butterfly fed on some nectar. The vein-like appearance of its wings is created by a combination of yellow and black scales.

As I walked back, the dog bolted for something. Being prone to attacking anything that will run away from her, there was probably a squirrel or rabbit about. It turned out to be this little fellow taking refuge in a tree hole…

eeyyyyyy?!?!

It was an albino Grey Squirrel. Or an albino Black Squirrel - I wouldn’t know how to tell ?! The only difference between Black and Grey squirrels are the colour pigment chromosomes, and this being albino, im guessing could be either of the two. I think the squirrel was also a bit dumb, either that or it was very brave, dropping down onto the branch and feeding, while the dog barked and whined in an attempt to climb the tree after it. At one point I got close enough to have been able to poke it with a short stick. I didn’t, of course.

Combe Martin

Being a massive fan of anything to do with the South-West of our country, I was very excited to be going to North Devon for a few days with the family. Staying in Combe Martin, just outside of Exmoor. The weather was perfect as we arrived in Ilfracombe…

A lovely town, where I hear tales of a certain honeymoon spent here a fair few years back. A good choice I must say! The gulls are very brave here too, having to literally punch one as it dive-bombed my tray of chips. Probably the first, and hopefully last, time I have ever punched a wild animal. It was fine, the blow cushioned by its soft underside.

Late one evening, the clan went for a twilight stroll where we were joined by plenty of bats, probably Pipistrelles, but later, with the help of Rachaels Bat Detector, we managed to identify a few to species level based on the frequency and length of their echolocation. They are extremely hard to photograph, and below is my best effort, or should I say the luckiest effort, of a bat!

Some out of focus leaves and part of the wing… It would have been nice to spend more time with them, enough to work out their flight paths and set up some shots, but I wouldn’t like to bore the rest of the family!

The next day we headed out in the baking sunshine, up to Little Hangman along the coast path, where some of the highest sea cliffs in the UK are found.

We dropped down into the cove and spent some time kicking back on the beach. Moments later, some commotion in the skies above us. A Peregrine Falcon had stolen what looked like a Gull chick and had taken it off along the cliffs to devour it. In fact, there was a pair of Peregrine, patrolling the cliff faces.

Fantastic birds, renowned for being the fastest animals on the planet, diving in the skies at up to 200mph to catch their prey. An incredible record to hold! 

We reached the top of Little Hangman, where obscure clouds hang over the cliff tops, like white cotton woolly hats. Sky poses with the lingering cloud over the cliff top in the distance...

Next day we went to Woolacombe, a popular beach for the tourists!

We had a pasty and an apple, and then headed back to Ilfracombe where we were to go Mackerel fishing! Of course, Haz caught the most…

 The two biggens in the middle were my first two, monsters I tell you!

Mackerel have to be one of the greatest fish of our time, beautifully streamlined, beautifully coloured and wonderful on the BBQ! To top that off, they are one of the more sustainable fish to be had from our seas… at the moment!

On our last day, we ventured over onto the Western part of Exmoor, where we followed a steep sided valley, a lush green with a whole host of trees, and a wonderful river winding its way through the valley to the sea. 

The woodland floor was coated with the amazingly smelling (and tasting!) Wild Garlic and Bluebells as well…

To top it off, we found a Green-Winged Orchid on the way back…

Shame about the naff photo!

The River Ivel Springs Nature Reserve

Before returning back to the Cap Fin, I got a last walk in before the end of May. Walking from Baldock, back through, along the River Ivel, to Stotfold. The early flowers flowered in the wild flower meadows of the Nature Reserve in Baldock.

Sad to see the crap people leave behind around the Springs reserve, clearly a hot spot for binge drinking fosters and tea out of polystyrene cups!

Radwell springs, and some fairly nice light for what is probably my favourite duck… The Tufted Duck! Males in their handsome black and white plumage with that glorious goldeneye and the long slick-backed tuft on top of their head.

A Coot…

And another shot of the Tufted Duck…

Lovely Duck.

Here, a usually nocturnal Cockchafer crawls amongst some pink flowers. This one being a male cockchafer with its 7 fingers to its fan-like antennae, where females only have 6 fingers on their antennae.

Never seen such a camp looking Cockchafer!

To finally end this blog, a photo of a Grey Squirrel (not albino!) on an old lamppost, raiding the birds’ fat balls. I was going to pretend I took this photo because I quite like it, but I didn’t. Haz did. Damn it.

Until next time!