RAIN CEASES ... BUT ...

Yesterday morning was summery and the moors were looking good in the sunshine ...

but, the overall view was deceptive, despite <<< looking dry, these tracks across the terrain only had to be trodden on and like a saturated sponge, proved to be very wet. Thank goodness for the foresight of wearing wellies! But there was a downside to the walk. Absolutely no signs of grouse, which I normally see in this area. Also, the vegetation you see in the first photo contains a mixture of whinberries and crowberries (both edible) though one is superior to the other in both texture and taste. But one needs patience to gather whinberries in large amounts, especially this year because it seems that the weather has prevented the fruit forming on most of the bushes we passed.

Early Crowberries

A single Whinberry

Crowberries, to be honest are not really worth eating, no flavour, very watery and lots of seeds. But whinberries as we call them in Wales, are known in Scotland as blaeberries and whortleberries or bilberries, in England. They are delicious. Most folk know the commercially grown blueberry found on supermarket shelves, but the native species grows in free abundance all over the local mountains of Britain. But I saw very few signs of fruiting plants where we walked and I'm guessing they are just too water logged. The same also sadly, applies to our moorland birds nests. Apart from my regularly checked Meadow Pipit nest, I am finding discarded nests all over the place. Now maybe they have (hopefully) hatched and moved on, but in one case today I found this ... a discarded nest pipit or skylark? I don't know. Many of them seem to have been raided by something and moved out of  their"secure" hidden positions, usually barely visible. This one was out of position and where it had been, there was a very fresh rodent hole. Methinks said rodent had eaten the eggs. This nest is small,the size of my hand and so light. But just look at the underside with it's fresh green moss and on the topside the versatility of weaving, achieved with just one small beak, and hours of work. I find that just simply amazing.

But, sadly it seems that all this unseasonal rain has played havoc with our local terrain.