Signs of Spring 1

Two cock pheasants having a territorial dispute. Usually very shy birds, they were too engrossed in each other to notice us.

hard to believe

a beautiful end to a wild, wild day

pond life

water is appearing in new places everywhere at the moment. A new waterfall has appeared (visible through the trees just above H's head in the photo) from water flowing out of old mine workings. Some frog spawn has appeared (quite late this year despite the mild temperatures) with an unidentified predator.

Springing

Despite all this stormy weather, or possibly because it has been so mild, the annual cycle has started again. Snowdrops are out in profusion everywhere. These are complex varieties growing in the valley between Old Mill and Luckett.

Spring like

It was warm and almost Spring-like today, daffodils and snowdrops are out and there are signs of plants beginning to come into leaf already giving the landscape a hint of fresh green.

look outs at Luckett

Can we come for a walk too?

vandals at Greenscoombe

It must be so much fun driving your 4x4 illegally into these woods and meadows and driving at speed across a rare and fragile landscape leaving your scat so every one can know you exist, after all you are more important than anything else on the planet.

at the end of the road

what we really went to see, the magnificent, unearthly and ethereal Northern lights. We were fortunate to see a very active aurora on an crystal clear night. The photographs are deceptive in that the eye does not see such vivid colours, but they do capture the shapes and sense of movement that one can see. What a wonderful place (see link, Spot doesn't usually do ads but this hotel deserves it)!

Northern colours

dusk, coral beach at Sommaroy

the evening view from the Arctic Hotel, Sommaroy

dawn pictures

at this time of year dusk and dawn last for several hours creating some amazing scenes and colours.

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!