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!

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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

Silent and secret

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, Walks2 Comments

We leave the car and take the path across the field, cutting off the corner and avoiding the road. The corn has been harvested; just the stubble remains, and with it an eerie feeling that, with the crop, everything else has gone. The air is still, it’s very quiet – is anybody there? We continue via Harnage Grange, then, further along the lane, we take the path across the fields towards Kenley. There’s a secret world here, not visible from any of the roads nearby, and if it was quiet earlier, it’s even quieter now. Not even the sheep have anything to say.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=357220&Y=301550&A=Y&Z=120