REMOTE SPAWNING

As you can see I have been tinkering, perhaps unwisely. I started with the header photo, which I've meant to do for months. The one of the ponies has been bugging me as the one on the far left was very straggly and not what a Dartmoor should look like. I like the new one. I then moved on to the one of me, which I HATED. It was a rush job, taken in the mirror out of desperation when starting the blog. So, I thought I'd replace it. Me on the sledge isn't really working but I now can't find the original one. I will sort it out but not now!

Yesterday, I found some frog spawn in a small puddle which will dry out in a few days if we have no rain. Today, I decided to go looking for more spawn that needs rescuing and.over the weekend, I will draft in Origami Boy and his friend to help me move it to safer water. I was amazed at how remote some of their spawning sites were:

This huge puddle takes about a week to dry out in the sun and was the site of last year's tadpole rescue. This year I'm hoping to save them before they hatch!

This clump should be fine

Idiotic spawning and definitely in need of rescue

Huge amounts in the middle of the giant marsh

Close to the river so they should be fine

More middle of nowhere spawning

And again....

Sorry - those were pretty boring! Whilst picking my way through dodgy marsh, I saw these two lovely mosses:

Serious problems identifying them but probably Hair Moss and...

Bog Moss....I think. Mosses are notoriously difficult to identify...

I managed to capture the burglar Nuthatch in action today. A bit blurry but you can see the criminal at work....

Inside the feeder taking the nut....

Leaving the scene of the crime....

Stashing the swag under a rock in the neighbour's garden....

Trying to look innocent

Here are a few more pictures I took today.

Clapper bridge over Wallabrook

Snippet in the marsh

A lone sheep

A very naughty sheep trying to escape its field

Half term is upon us and I have no idea yet what my posting abilities will be. Forgive me if there is a temporary break in transmission but you never know, the mid week sleepover might afford an opportunity......until next time, have a great weekend and I'll leave you with a very happy Snippet.

SIGNS OF LIFE

But not as many as there were yesterday before this insufferable laptop decided to delete all my lovely frog and lichen pictures. I'm getting really upset with its life of its own. Time to dig a mouse out of a drawer and deactivate the touch pad. Whether that will solve the problem of hovering over something and it pressing virtual buttons that you don't want to press, I don't know. Anyway, enough grumping. I followed yesterdays footsteps today, but the frogs I had photographed had finished spawning and disappeared today. Not surprising but they are all at it and the spawn is gathering in every available puddle. Some may have to be rescued and moved as some of the puddles will dry out if there's a dry period. This is a fraction of what I saw today:

I haven't seen Betty or any of the other mares and foals for weeks. The occasional little group of vaguely familiar ponies appears for a few days and then goes. Some are in foal but not many. I'm really hoping Betty and the rest of them come back nearer foaling time. They will have to be named by letter rather than number this year so I don't get confused. Here are a couple I saw today a couple of miles away from home:

Eating the lush greens in the stream

My lichen passion had reached the point of searching for a comprehensive tome for identification. Not easy to come by I can tell you. The one I want is ridiculously expensive so I may have to just stick with the on-line sites which are pretty good, but not exactly portable. I'm finding http://www.britishlichens.co.uk/ the best but I haven't done very well with these I saw today (and yesterday!).

I can't identify this one.....time for i-spot

Cladonia Bellidiflora

Cladonia Polydactyla I think

Cladonia PleurotaI I think

Another one for i-spot

Cladonia Pocillum I think

I've been trying to photograph a Dunnock that has been visiting the garden for a few weeks. It kept flying off every time I managed to focus and never comes to the bird 'table'. This picture isn't great but at least I've got it at last. I haven't seen one up here at all until now so I'm really pleased.

These sparrows look like one of those wooden toys with the swinging ball underneath that makes them peck:

And a rather lovely Chaffinch with a mouthful of seedy porridge:

My viola are still flowering: 

And the Columbines are beginning to spring into life:

Snippet enjoyed today - lots of rodents making noises under tussocks of grass: 

I'll leave you with Kestor at sunrise the other frosty morning. awe-inspiring and a reason to get up and out early. Until next time..........

HOW DO THEY STAY UP?

Walking over towards the edge of the evil Fernworthy Forest below Thornworthy Tor, I was struck by sections of the wall that encloses the Tor that appear to being held up by magic, given the weather they have to endure. Below is the wall I was walking along in context, followed by close ups of the sections that I consider miraculous. I hope you like dry stone walls; if not you may be asleep by the end of this post.

Thornworthy Tor above the wall

Stretching away to the North

I think they're absolutely beautiful. Anyway, we are snow and rain free today which feels like another miracle. Here are another few pictures from today....

Interested sheep 

Thornworthy Tor

Crow....

And finally, I'll leave you with this beautiful Kestrel that flew over me last weekend which I forgot to put in the previous grumpy post. Enjoy your weekend. It's just started raining....argh - I spoke too soon! Until next time...