GOLDEN PLOVER FLOCK....A CHANGE IN POST TITLE!

Yesterday, whilst trudging over the marsh with my sore feet (caused by months of walking in wellies if you ask me), I suddenly spotted a group of birds ahead of me. Could they be fieldfare? They hadn't flown off immediately and they looked too spotty. I quickly snapped them on the ground without much success and then again as they flew off. After downloading them , I'm was pretty sure they were Dunlins but have now been corrected thank goodness. They are Golden Plover. Thanks Mark from http://blackriverlakeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ and Ragged Robin at http://raggedrobinsnaturenotes.blogspot.co.uk for your help!

Sorry about this one!

Yesterday, as I wandered over towards the tin hut searching for Betty again, I heard a load roaring which turned out to be a friend in his tractor, cutting fire breaks into the parched dead grass. He said they will be swailing soon (burning for good reasons). They will drench the breaks and set fire to the grass in between to regenerate. I'll try and be there to photograph it. It makes an odd sight: a tractor in the wilderness.

I saw Daisy, who is back out on the moor. The owners of the bungalow are here at the moment and probably chased her off. She was back overnight munching on the grass up the drive. She is ENORMOUS:

Here is the same view today:

And yesterday with the rain, or rather sleet, chasing me. I got very wet five minutes from home. 

Today I saw these ponies. Lovely but not ours! I guess I may just have to give up on them. Perhaps, like a watched pot, they may boil or turn up if I give up hope. Mmmm not the best analogy there - sorry! I'm sure you know what I mean.

Bit of a dodgy picture of a Stonechat:

I'm having huge problems getting everything done at the moment and am wondering what on earth I would do if I worked full time. I haven't done a drawing for weeks and there are a million things around the house that need doing that I just don't get round to. The time between dropping Origami Boy at school and him getting home on the school bus goes in the blink of an eye. Admittedly there have been medical and dental appointments every day so far this week. I have my new crown/bridge now and it's a revelation. Almost worth the bankruptcy induced. I thought I was quite a good time manager but I'm having my doubts! Trigger is still alone by the way....no sign of the mares....they're still hiding from him. So, until next time, here's Snippet over-sticking himself. Have a good remainder of the week. 

TRIGGER GOES ON HOLIDAY AND A REDWING

Today Trigger started his month's holiday down the road. I walked him there, took off his halter and let him go. I haven't seen him move so fast for a VERY long time! It's rare to see the Arab in him, but, like this, it's really obvious. Banner tail, nostrils flared, he looks fabulous. When I took his rug off earlier this morning, he looked awful to be honest. Coat flattened and the rug induced bald shoulder patches.....you wouldn't have known it was the same pony. His new companions ran for the hills in fear as he careered around like a mad thing. When I went back this evening, I found the very kind people who live next to the field feeding him carrot and giving him a cuddle. I think he's going to be fine, even if the mares don't take to him!

When I looked out of the window at 6.45 this morning, I was horrified to see it was snowing again! It lasted for about half an hour with proper big flakes and settled on the grass for a couple of hours.

When I took Snippet out at 8.00-ish, it was cold and foggy but as I walked, the sky began to clear in the distance and lit up the hills in a most beautiful way.

Foggy, snowy sheep

Fog into the distance

The sky begins to clear

As I stood in Trigger's field (the old one) a few minutes later, the skies had cleared almost completely and the snow dusted hills looked stunning.

In the field beyond, the fieldfare flock was enormous and I managed to snap a few of them:

And these starlings:

When I downloaded the pictures later today, I discovered that one of the Fieldfare I'd shot was in fact a Redwing! Very excited and I can see another one in the background.

When I left Trigger he seemed pretty calm and happy so I feel like I've done the right thing. He'd managed to put a huge rip in his rug but never mind. Still no sign of the companions....they may come round but if he continues to chase them around like he was, he may be out of luck. Until next time, I'll leave you with our resident pony who I think I should name if she's staying. Daisy will do her very well. 

SCORHILL TOR ON A MISSION AND A VISITOR

A beautiful, cold, crisp and sunny day, so Snippet and I set out on a longer than usual walk in search of Betty and the herd. I thought I'd seen them at a distance on the other side of the valley near Scorhill Tor (pronounced scorrill) so we set off down to the river. On the way, we saw these lovely ponies basking:

Ridiculous hair-do

Snippet was having a great time rushing around at full speed in the parched grass.

Over the river and up the other side, looking back upstream.....

....and over to Kestor in the distance

The pony herd does not include Betty. Some of them look familiar but I am disappointed.

I climb Scorhill Tor, which isn't difficult, and look back over the valley where I can just glimpse our house between the trees. We can just see the tor from our bedroom window.  And then over to the high moor. I so rarely come over here; it's nice to get a different perspective. I was hoping for some reptile sightings given the strength of the sun, but was disappointed there too. 

I rushed home as I was meeting partner at the potential house for us and my Mum. It would have been fantastic for us, but the section for my mum was dark and cold and North facing. Not good for my Mother who feels the cold and loves the light. Never mind.....we'll keep looking. 

The last couple of days have brought a visitor over the mud filled cattle grid and up the drive. She has taken up residence in a scrubby bit of land next to the holiday home bungalow up here. The owners only visit rarely so she is safe grazing there. She is VERY heavily pregnant and looks about to pop. She's causing some chaos at night, invading unfenced bits of garden, but ours isn't one of them and I'm sort of hoping she has the foal in here. She looks very like number one foal's mum from last year but I'm not sure. Here she is:

I'll leave you with Trigger looking furry this morning in the sunshine. No signs of summer coat yet. It would normally be coming out in hanks by now. Until next time...