Mild Winter, or what?

Last Winter, the daytime temperature seldom seemed to rise above -10C.  This Winter, however, we are frequently experiencing tempretures of 15C.

As you can see; the Willows are Budding up and the Primroses are flowering.

The last three Winters, I had been trapped up here, by heavy snowfall and had to climb out of the window, as snow had blocked the door.

By contrast this winter is 25 degrees warmer.

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The Other Wistmans Woods

Okery Bridge

On Dartmoor there are two little patches of Oak woodland, which are supposed to be the last remnants of the forest, which once covered Dartmoor.  One is in the North, by Meldon reservoir & is called Blackator Copse & one is near me at Two Bridges.  It is the most well known; called Wistmans woods.

These two woods are famous, they are both very protected.  But not this one.  Not Okery Bridge.  This one is unknown and certainly not protected like the other two, even though it is at the same altitude, its in the same world heritage site and its comprised of the same (supposedly) ancient, bonzi twisted Oak trees.

At some point in time some joker has planted Beech trees in amongst the Oaks also some non-native species, including Pine and Spruce have been added and left unchecked.  In the spring thousands of mixed garden Daffodils appear in big established clumps.

However, this site, as well as the adjoining horse field; was the only site in Princeton, where there were any Wild Bluebells, prior to my arrival here.

Hopefully one day, someone will come to the aid of this historic woodland.  Before it is too late.

Livestock Problems

UnwelcomeTree Munching Herbivores



Once again I am having problems, with the animals getting into the woods.













Here two sheep, have become tangled in Brambles. They have got in through a gap in the barbed wire fence, where a Beech tree has fallen down, and squashed the fence.
 Sometimes I find them dead, however I got to these ones in time and untangled them and put them back over into the field where they belongs.



Grass Fungus

A fungi, which seems to be semi-parasitic on the blades of living Grass.

As shown here, pointed to by my muddy hand.

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How to heard Sheep on a Motorbike

Another driver flashed me today and then I had to break hard, as the road was full of Sheep.

This was a few miles from the moor and they had clearly escaped from a field, so I started circling them, slowly, to see if they knew where their home was.

They all started to make a run for it, down in an adjacent lane, with me in hot pursuit and they all ran back into a field over a collapsed gate.

I made sure they were all in, then I fixed the gate securely behind them.

I have never taken photos, whilst driving before, that was fun!

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Soil Erosion

A Brief Demonstration of Soil Erosion

As you can see from the first two pictures; the roots of this Oak tree have been exposed, by about 5 feet/just over 1.5 meters.  My arms mark where I reckon the original soil level was, when this tree was an acorn.  Which, by the looks of the slender girth of this tree's trunk; was probably only about forty years ago.

That means that the soil here is eroding at a rate of 5cm/just over 1.5 inches per year.  Which is pretty high.

On the next two pictures, a huge mud cave can be seen, gaping beneath another tree.  Formed presumably as the soil and rocks crumble away from under it.

On the fith picture; none of the trees are growing straight, all are listing down the slope & not one tree is more than 30/40 years old + many roots are clearly visible.

On the final caption, a fallen tree. The inevitable consequence of this much soil erosion.

The rock here is a kind of Limestone.  This is normally quite a tough rock, but there are old mines and sink holes, also the site slopes steeply, to a large river, so all these factors may have contributed to the extraordinary rate of erosion here.

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