Dartmoor Walk

I worked a Long Day on Monday 8th June and while I am still very angry and pissed off by current events I had a better day. I had Tuesday 9th June off and had no plans for the day but when I awoke early at just after 6am the sky was clear and sunny and so after some breakfast and a bit of TV watching I made a last minute decision to visit Roborough Down for a walk. I arrived on site at 09:30hrs and the forecasted clouds were beginning to appear and by 11:30hrs the sun had disappeared behind them but I still had an enjoyable walk.

It was cool in the breeze when I first arrived but in the shelter of bushes and shrubs it was warm in the sunshine and I found a few butterflies on the wing - a Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (1 worn, 1 fresh looking), Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Large Skipper and 3 Green Hairstreak with a female watched egg laying on the soft young growth of Gorse.

Small Tortoiseshell

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

Green Hairstreak

Green Hairstreak

Green Hairstreak

The male Dartford Warbler was again singing energetically in the same spot and showed very well allowing me to take some slightly better quality record shots than usual. Sadly I have to assume that he has yet to find a mate this Spring considering his vigorous and sustained performance so late in the year.

Dartford Warbler

Dartford Warbler

Dartford Warbler

Dartford Warbler

Dartford Warbler

Stonechat, Bullfinch, Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Skylark and Yellowhammer were all seen and a surprise was a female Pheasent sat out on the grass in the open before leaping up to reveal around 10 small chicks underneath her which scattered into the bushes while she flapped and squawked at me.

Yellowhammer

Pheasent chick

Another surprise was a family party of Stoats which frolicked together along the Leat, never stopping for more than a second before disappearing into the gorse when a dog arrived on the scene.

Stoats

A large Drinker Moth Caterpillar was found on the footpath and moved to safety nearby and a Scorpion Fly was a nice find and I even managed a photo of its tail which nicely shows how it gets its name. A few Brown Silver Line moths were flitting about in the bracken too.

Drinker Moth Caterpillar

Scorpion Fly

Scorpion Fly tail

Brown Silver Lines

Dartmoor ponies were feeding out on the Down including a very handsome looking young foal and an adult Pony that would not leave me alone, probably because it could smell the apple in my rucksack although at one point it managed to get a nibble on my binoculars!

Dartmoor Pony Foal

Sleepy Pony

Out for the Count Pony -I know how it feels!

A very nice walk indeed and a place close to home which I know very little about, I certainly should visit here more often.