Author: geoffspages

Farewell to the fairies

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Skye, WalksLeave a comment

Skye, 28 September A friend, intent on visiting Skye, sent me a list of 20 places to visit on the island (found on a website somewhere, I guess). What did I think? I suggested, cruelly but realistically, that if he avoided those places he might enjoy his visit. (We have ‘honeypots’ in Shropshire too. They help to keep all the other attractive places quiet…)
This afternoon the wind was still howling north of Uig, but it remained dry. Somewhere sheltered would be good for a walk (avoid clifftops etc…) – perhaps I would take a walk from Uig, up to the Fairy Glen (one of the 20 mentioned earlier). Geographically, it’s a magical place, but as the years have gone by, it’s become busier and busier. At the end of September, might it not be too bad? All I can say is, it must truly be a nightmare during the main holiday season. I really can’t imagine any of the fairies would want to stay there a minute longer – they’ve gone, I’m sure. As I dodged the seemingly endless procession of cars, camper vans and minibuses, I thought to myself that this might be my farewell to the Fairy Glen too – unless we find ourselves up here in the darkest months of winter. It might then retain a glimmer of its former magic.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=140810&Y=863137&A=Y&Z=120

Temperate rainforest

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Skye, WalksLeave a comment

Skye, 27 September Uig wood: it’s tiny by the standards of such things, but it’s a different world in there. The woodland is very damp and mossy, and the lichen in the trees is wonderful! Huge (a couple of inches across) flakes of tree lungwort adorn the tree trunks; elsewhere are more delicate (and more familiar) filament-type lichens (I’ve no idea what they’re called). This is temperate rainforest, apparently.

Before visiting the wood, we take a walk up to Idrigill, to look down on the works at the pier, and the views across Uig bay. A great little outing for a grey (and later, wet and windy) day!

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=139030&Y=863827&A=Y&Z=115

We’re back!

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

There are lots more photos to come from our recent northern trip, but firstly, it’s good to be back to the everyday normality (if that’s what it is) of life in Shropshire. What better than a wander around the Willey lanes, to see how the season has moved on. In the fields, they’re lifting the spuds. Along the hedges and verges, there are crab apples, glorious (but inedible) red berries and the last of the blackberries (the devil’s in them now). All the damsons have gone – someone’s been busy while we were away

View OS map in Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367470&Y=298250&A=Y&Z=120

Run for it!

On By geoffspagesIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Another dry morning (another showery afternoon). I’m wandering through the fields, mostly between the Bridgnorth road and the river. There’s no-one else about – but what about those three there, by the edge of the wood? We often see fallow deer in these parts, but they don’t usually have this dark colouring. I think they’re the ‘melanistic’ variety, described as black or chocolate coloured, but I’m not sure – never seen any like these before. They look up – they’ve seen me – but I don’t seem to be posing a threat, and for a minute or two they carry on nibbling at the undergrowth. Then a pheasant suddenly bursts noisily from the wood, spooking them, and they’re off!

Just beyond the deer, the path was completely blocked by a fallen tree (hawthorn – I’m not going to try and push through that!) – had to take a field’s edge detour.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=368920&Y=298730&A=Y&Z=120