Bystock

On Sunday afternoon we went through the lanes to Bystock Nature Reserve.




The water lilies in the pool have very large leaves and look beautiful in the sunshine.




The reserve is a mixture of boggy pools, heath and woodland.




The bog has boardwalks for ease of crossing and the Common Lizards use these for sunbathing.


Fern fronds emerging.


Just North of Bystock is a huge quarry.


A flock of gulls were sitting at the edge of one of its pools.



They suddenly took the air in a great disparate cloud.


Thanks as usual to Ian for his chauffeuring and to Helen for making it appear that photographing anything and everything is not totally daft!

Stover Country Park

On Saturday afternoon we went to Stover Country Park.


This is a young Oak Apple Gall (Biorhiza pallida) on an Oak.


We walked around the lake. This is a Coot nesting on an artificial platform in the lake.


And a Great Crested Grebe on its nest.


I like it when Reserves have notice boards telling one of exceptional things to look out for at the moment.



We saw two pair of Great Crested Grebes nesting.


There are plenty of Mallard on the lake. I just love it when the sun catches the sheen on a duck's head.


A Mute Swan.



There is an excellent aerial walkway in the country park.



It takes one into the tree canopy with aerial views of the wildlife.


We saw Grey Squirrels feeding on the ground, birds on hanging bird feeders and a Brown Rat which was darting in and out of the undergrowth. The latter's fur looked remarkably red in the sunshine. It was quite strange seeing Grey Squirrels from this angle.



All along the walkway there are attractive sketches and sayings and informative drawings. Some of them are from children's sayings and drawings.


Hanging in a Beech tree in the canopy.



Round the edge of the lake are a number of smaller ponds.



This is the bus stop outside the park.

Chudleigh Knighton Heath

After Ian had done some gardening on Saturday, he drove us to Chudleigh Knighton Heath for a walk around the nature reserve.


Mine hosts.




Each exploring their own little spot.


Chudleigh Knighton Heath is a Devon Wildlife Trust Reserve.


This Raft Spider (Dolomedes fimbriatus) was running out into the centre of the pond - its weight being so light it didn't break the meniscus of the water and it could run over the surface quite happily. Raft Spiders are the largest species of spider in Britain though this was only a small spcimen. Adult females are the larger of the species with bodies measuring 22 mm long and with a leg span of about 70 mm. Raft spiders are semi-aquatic and live their lives around acidic bogs. They are dark brown or black in colour with a large stripe of white or cream along their sides. They re not only capable of moving across water but can also submerge themselves for periods of time to protect themselves from predators. This is twice that Chudliegh Knighton Heath has provided me with an unusual spider species - last time it was the Zebra Spider.


This shiny beetle, a Phyllobius species, was on one of the birch trees on the heath.


This is a Pale Dog Violet (Viola lactea) - there were lots of them around the reserve.


This little spider is Araniella cucurbitina a very pretty species (assuming you like spiders, that is).


When looking for rare species it is all too easy to overlook the common but beautiful ones like these buttercups.


This is a Common Groundhopper (Tetrix undulata). It is the first time I have seen and photographed a groundhopper so I was delighted to add it to my life-time species lists.


We had lunch at Bovey Tracey - revisiting Country Cuisine in Fore Street as usual. (Does eating here once a year make us regular customers?). I love their Homity Pie. Homity pie is a traditional English open vegetable pie. The pastry case contains a mixture of potatoes, onions and leeks which is then covered with cheese. (Apple adds interest, but is not in the traditional recipe). Ian had one as well, Jo had their Spinach Puff which was equally tasty (I pinched a bit) and Helen had the Tuna and cheese melt panini.


This photo of the water mill (with the wheel just about visible) was taken from the car as we crossed the bridge over the River Bovey. Oliver Cromwell and General Fairfax crossed this same bridge on 9th January 1646 on their way to the Battle of Bovey Heath (but he wasn't in a Citroen Xara). The Parliamentarians scored a significant victory. Among the captured were four Colonels, three Lieutenant Colonels, five majors, eleven Captains, 140 other soldiers & 150 head of cattle.

Saturday 2nd May in the garden

First thing Saturday morning Ian continued laying some new turf in the back garden as Jo and I enjoyed a cup of tea in the sunshine.


I could watch people work all day!


I could just watch people all day.



Those who accompanied me to Exeter on my Blog last year may recall all the caterpillars in the garden. It was therefore no surprise to find this Small White emerging this morning. It was pumping its veins up as we watched and within half an hour it had flown off.


The Gooseberries are fruiting already - it won't be that long before they are in a pie! They brought back memories of my grandparent's garden and they reminded Jo of being asked to pick them from their garden as a child.


William decided to help by treading the lawn down!

A Blog resurrected

"Good friends,

good books

and a sleepy conscience:

this is the ideal life."

~ Mark Twain

At the end of the week I am heading down to Exeter for a couple of weeks to stay with Helen and Ian. So expect some new postings on this blog in the very near future!