bird counting day

It is the RSPB's bird counting day today. You spend one hour watching the birds in the garden and record the maximum number at any one time. Of course, everyone puts out lots of bird food and as a result our garden is unusually empty. I am not sure whether or not we can count the buzzard sitting on the roof of Kitt's Cottage as in our garden. I have never before seen a buzzard sitting like this in the middle of our village, they usually avoid people at all costs; it is another sign I think that their behaviour is changing because of the cold, or else they were aware that it was bird watch day and decided to join in.

snow drops and snowdrops

some pictures from our walk today. The snowdrops are very nearly out, and the snow was falling once again.

pet twig returns to life

tions

it is that time of year again. Cold and still conditions have induced our pet twig to start flowering again (see link). I am not convinced that I understand this process.

first signs

It is always interesting, and up-lifting, to see the first signs of the new year's resurgence. Frog spawn appeared on 21/01 which is about a week earlier than last year despite the cold weather

my lane, goodnight, my lane

I'll see you in my dreams

Cornish cattle egrets

and on the way back, there was a little group of cattle egrets standing around in a field (full of cattle). These egrets used to be quite rare but are seen increasingly often in the South West (although probably still quite unusual, see link). They have distinctly yellow beaks, and yellow legs (except in the breeding season when they go red). The last time we saw cattle egrets was in Borneo a year ago in the blazing equatorial sun!

Trenant woods

we were gifted some trees planted in Trenant Wood, a woodland trust wood near Looe so we went for a walk there today to visit them. It is hard going at first but the views are spectacular, down the river Looe to the Looe and the sea. The picture is badly over exposed at the top (it was a very sunny day today) but gives a good impression of the tidal flats above Looe, with the wooded valley on either side.

Cadsonbury Hill 2

to get to Cadsonbury one can walk along the bank of the Lynher. This is a smaller, narrower river than the Tamar and the flowing water has a distinctly different sound. It has been very cold recently but the trees are full of birds, including one of my favourites, the long tailed tit making its characteristic 'si si' call. These are sociable birds which fly around in small flocks and chatter away incessantly to each other. (also see this previous page from the blog).
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Cadsonbury Hill

Cadsonbury Hill is an iron age hill fort and compound that stands over the Lynher river just southwest of New bridge (so called when it was built in the fifteenth century) over the Lynher, on the road from Callington to Liskeard (see link). This is the view looking up the Lynher valley towards Kit Hill. The rampart and ditch are still very well preserved. Like Silbury, the hill on which the fort stands looks very odd in the surrounding landscape and is clearly man made to some degree. The slopes are very steep. Spot and Harriet are pleased to demonstrate.



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last of the winter sun

freezing fog in the valleys, and just visible to the top left, bathed in evening sun, the tower of Stoke Climsland church

icefall

the water in Kit Hill quarry has frozen solid but no dogs were allowed to try it out given recent tragic events. It is so cold that an icefall has formed on the quarry face. (OK, the blue is cheating)

going home

a flock of starlings going home to roost.

making tracks

does anyone have any idea what might have made these tracks, meandering from one small clump of snow covered grass to another. The larger tracks (to the left, and top) are made by rabbits, but what walks in a straight line by placing one dainty foot in front of another. It doesn't look like the tracks of a bird. A very small rabbit maybe?

snipe over Dartmoor, and Venterdon

snipe (dot in sky in top picture) are easily startled and very quick through the air, but have a characteristically over long beak for their small bodies. They often live in the fields in the winter but it is extremely difficult to catch them in a photograph, they're gone before the camera can focus.

some hungry visitors

this is the first song thrush we have seen in the garden for a long time (top two photos). The song thrush is a much browner looking bird than the mistle thrush which is greyer and has a lighter face. The blackbird is also a member of the thrush family and the brown female (third photo) has very thrush like mottled breast feathers

the fields of gold

another strange day with a golden sunset across freezing fog creating an eerie and magical world of soft suffused light; it reminded me for some reason of the song, but fields of miscanthus not barley.

buzzard rescue

this morning as I was driving slowly into work along the frozen lanes a young buzzard flew out of the hedgerow straight into the front of the car, falling between the wheels. When I went back to check, it was still alive but with obvious damage to its right wing. I am never quite sure what to do in these situations, but I decided to wrap the bird up in my coat and try to save it. For a large bird it was immediately and surprisingly calm thus restrained. Steering one handed with the buzzard under my left arm we returned home, rang up the RSPCA, and with a case number and their instructions took the bird to our nearest vets (Calweton) with the help of one of my neighbours, Derek, who is holding the buzzard in this photo, and his springer spaniel Moss. The buzzard was thin and malnourished and has obviously been struggling to find anything to eat in the cold weather. The nurse at Calweton said that they have a couple of people who specialise in rehabilitating raptors but I suspect the prognosis is not good. I have noticed several buzzards recently at a much lower level in the woods than normal. It was an unfortunate way in which to see one of these magnificent birds at such close quarters.

Out for a walk

the light in the morning is lovely at this time of year. In the distance, on the other side of the Inny valley you can see the little village of Treburley (home of the Springer Spaniel pub). I think the Lurcher would also be a winning name for a local pub.

Try clicking on the lane label under this picture to get a flavour of our lanes through the year.

and it remains cold

out today we saw a fox ambling across a field which is unusual in broad daylight, the cold must be forcing them out to scavenge. We also came across deer, badger and otter footprints.

New Year 2

the first view from Kit Hill below is towards Plymouth. The English Channel is the thin sliver of bright light at the top right.
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The second view is of Brentor sitting in front of the main mass of Dartmoor. It is usually much more difficult to pick out from the background.
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Brentor is the little pimple like hill (plus church) to be seen just below the russet brown line of Dartmoor on the far horizon . It is a strange place (see link) with many legends (see link)

the New Year

It has been unusually cold for this part of the world recently. From the Saturday before Christmas until the middle of last week the roads were covered with sheet ice and many people couldn't even get out of their houses. Car travel was almost impossible without 4 wheel drive. After a brief milder spell, it has turned very cold again. The air is very calm and clear. The views from Kit Hill were spectacular and the quarry was frozen over for the first time in Spot's experience, who can be seen assessing the situation very gingerly (and no, he wasn't allowed to walk on to the ice) .

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and a better view from Carthamartha

we returned to Bishop's rock this morning (with permission) to get a better picture of this strangely quiet and isolated part of the Tamar valley

tamar flow

lovely colours in the Tamar as it flows over a salmon (?) weir above Endsleigh

bird at prey...when it stops raining

After seven weeks of incessant rain the sun has finally come out. It was a lovely misty morning. All the local buzzards immediately headed for their favourite perches on the top of telegraph poles where they can watch rabbits from a far. Unusually, this buzzard did not object to being photographed; too busy sun bathing.

down at Inny foot

if you are an avid reader of Spot's blog you may remember a picture of him standing by a tree in the middle of the Inny (see link). Here is the same tree, 10 feet under water. There appears to be a bulge in the water level here presumably because it is where the Tamar (in spate in the background) and the Inny meet. The water level rises dramatically under these conditions.

Below is a tangled wood photo. It turns out that this pond is by a very ancient road down to the ford at this point. In the mist we can hear the faint sound of footsteps of people long gone, tramping towards the future.

bishop's rock, Carthamartha

we were very lucky today because we met Mr Nigel Jonas on our walk. He owns the woodland that leads to Bishop's rock, a rocky crag overlooking the Tamar valley below Carthamartha (and also known as Carthamartha rocks on older maps). He showed us the splendid view from the top of the rocks. Unfortunately, even after all this time, the photographer forgot to reset his camera for the bright light. So this is a somewhat doctored picture of a buzzard wheeling in the valley below. This link will give a better idea of the view (link). It seems to be a very ancient landscape with numerous iron age hill forts, and a bronze age trackway leading down to one of the easiest fords across the Tamar although in this weather, to use an old joke, England would be cut off.

squall over Dartmoor

and still it rains, the ewes must be soaked. Dartmoor is on the far horizon, Hingston Down to the right.

where's my ball

Spot in his autumn colours, and Cassie showing no sign of fear in pursuit of an old football lodged beneath the waterfall.

traveller's joy

our native wild clematis, showing why it is sometimes called old man's beard.

one of my favourite birds

a pair of nuthatches arrived at the bird table today, probably blown here by the gales. I don't know why but they are amongst my favourite birds. Very busy and quite aggressive with everyone else.

it's getting wet

much more rain on the saturated ground and it will flood. Very strong winds blowing today, the English hurricane season has started.