Welcome back! It's
been a long and testing winter, with not a great deal of outdoor activity to
report, but now, despite low temperatures, white hilltops and what the weather
people like to call 'wintry showers', there are some signs of spring. Great Tits and Mistle Thrushes are singing,
and the sun, when it rarely appears, gives a little warmth out of the wind. It won't be long until the first Chiffchaffs
and Blackcaps are heard, Wheatears show their white backsides among the rocks,
and spring gathers pace.
Sunrise at Halshanger.
A recent trip to Norfolk with my father produced dramatic views of Cranes in the Broads , Marsh Harriers, Bitterns and Bearded Tits, along with Snow Buntings and a memorable trip to the well known Rook/Jackdaw roost at Buckenham Marshes on a cold, clear evening with a lovely pink sunset.
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| My brother Adrian's Birthday walking party, nr Looe, November 2012.
The other day, on my commute in the outskirts of
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| The central moor from the slopes of Hamel Down. |
 Sunlight and Raven, nr Polperro, November 2012. |
There are things afoot in the human world, too, after a quiet winter. Yesterday I led a walk for guests at Prince Hall Hotel celebrating proprietor Fi Daly's birthday. Here is a photo taken in the West Dart valley, with the hotel in the background. All participants, especially the six dogs, enjoyed themselves. Birdlife was quiet due to the changeable weather, but a flock of about 1,000 Starlings swished over us, and a flock of Fieldfares hunkered down in the fields, doubtless waiting to travel north when conditions improve.
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| A frozen pool near Headland Warren, March 2013. |
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| Challacombe Down, March 2013. |
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| Dartmoor pony nr Wind Tor, March 2013. |
Recently I met Devon Life photographer Mike Alsford at
Venford for a photo shoot on a murky day for the 'Devon Portraits' page of the
April issue of the magazine - more on that subject shortly. On the same day I bumped into my friend Stewart
Edmondson, the artist, working on a painting by the O Brook. I took these photos of him at work. They give a fascinating insight into his
working methods, which include scratching and flicking the paint and using a
blowtorch to dry the painting quickly so that he can continue working on
it. This is important when working
outdoors in changing light and weather.
It's interesting to see how Stu is not at all dissuaded by what many
would call 'poor light.' He's often to
be found on his knees in the woods by the river as the evening draws in or as
the clouds gather, searching for an elusive moment of transient light and
atmosphere.
And here's the finished painting:
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