reindeer

 

some wild life on the road around the island of Kvaløya

 

the white tailed sea eagle (see link)

huskyville

the huskies at Villmarkssenter (see link) making a hell of a racket as they get excited about mushing. This is a link to my facebook page where there is a fun video of the huskies setting off (link)

a trip to the North

things we didn't see in Venterdon, Tromso, at night

Spring bugs

It has been warm, almost Spring-like today. This is the hawthorn shield bug which overwinters as an adult, and has been fooled by the mild weatherinto waking up two months early, although it was quite dozy. I wonder why it earned its scientific name (see link) ?

hard to tell

I think this is a brambling in winter plumage, one of a small flock making high pitched "tink" to each other in Wareham woods today. These conifers are adjacent to some open fields.

A winter visitor to Britain, the Brambling is sometimes described as the Chaffinch of the north, for in the pine and birch forests of Scandinavia it seems to replace the Chaffinch as the commonest bird. In all plumages, Bramblings can be recognised by the obvious orange on the breast extending across the shoulders onto their wings. In winter the head and mantle are usually a blotchy grey-brown but in some birds these wear away to produce a stunning black head, even before they depart back to Scandinavia. In flight they show a neat rectangular white patch down the rump as well as white and orange in the wing. (from Guide to British Birds see link)

rain over Dartmoor

raincloud over Dartmoor this evening, illuminated by the evening sun; very striking.

communal bathing

starlings enjoying a wallow

on Shaptor

at long last Spot has found a dog stinkhorn (badly photographed unfortunately), smaller and more slender than its common cousin, but much more dog like (!, or maybe more appropriately :-). If only.

sunset

every pole should have a buzzard, every dog should have a home

Orion rising

the stars above the church tonight on the first clear night for a while.

sheep talk

"Am I really beautiful?"

Happy New Year

thank God 2013 is over; welcome 2014

flood plains

 When the Tamar floods it creates a new channel through the woods below Carthamartha. The debris contains many of the plastic tubes used to protect the mixed deciduous saplings that have been planted out up stream (top picture). The floor is scoured clean, revealing the first signs of this years crop of purple toothwort (looking very dental!)

)

Inny foot

It was a lovely winter's day for a walk in the woods.

run run Ron

Today's guest dog Ron (Warnham R, see link), retired racer, doing spirit of running with his friends.

have fun

And peace on earth!

google translate fails again

"Take me to your Biscuit, now!"

just missed

It was extremely wet and windy yesterday!

still shell shocked, and hanging on for dear life, or like grim death. (It is interesting that these two similes have the same meaning).

very old indeed

Our village post  office (in Stoke Climsland) is 175 years old next year. We will be celebrating!

birds of prey flock together

Up to 14 buzzards have been seen sitting together in these bare fields. Buzzards are usually fairly solitary birds, but they seem to be congregating in these fields, possibly to feed on the worms, or to warm up in the morning in the winter sun.

Christmas tidings from Duchy College

a giant corn dolly prepared by Duchy college ready for the ritual sacrifice of a student (still to be selected) at the winter solstice.

Bal maidens

images from A Hole in the Ground, an exhibition (in aid of NSPCC) in our parish hall of arts and crafts inspired by mining in the Tamar valley and a reflection of the harsh life of young men and women who worked in the mines locally.

Come and have a look

Another exhibition of photographs from Spot's blog is now on show at the Old School Community Centre, Stoke Climsland. Entry free (! of course !)

p.s. Tea towels with this attractive image will soon be available, get your orders in now!

winter scenes

Wonderful and strange light this afternoon, followed by a crescent moon and Venus brilliant in the evening sky.

on the first day of winter

Alfie, today's guest dog. I have no idea what he was doing in the top picture, possibly looking for water-fowl or otters, but we had a 2 hour swim and run marathon along the Inny which exhausted the lurchers but not Alfie.

Hard though it is to remember, these meadows were full of butterflies only a few months ago (see link). Below is an example of witches' broom, a gall of birch caused by a fungal infection

autumn

Light pouring into the woods today, and, away from the sun's warmth, a frost flower in bloom.

dawn

all avian life trying to warm up in the morning sun after a long cold moon lit night