Sunday 30 August 2015

Devon Sojourn 1 - Meldon Reservoir

Found myself having to make an emergency visit to Devon in very unfortunate circumstances, but there was still an opportunity to have a lovely day in late summer sun amongst the Tors of Dartmoor.

Our first port of call was The Granite Way . This wide, traffic free cycle path runs for about 18 miles through Dartmoor, and combines damp wooded sections moistened by the sort of cliche babbling brooks I remember from childhood days in the Brecon Beacons; and also open sections above which a good number of swallows were dancing in aerial pursuit of insects.

There were plenty of butterflies too; butterflies and swallows abundant, so different from back home where summer has seemingly given up and gone to bed, pulling its equinox duvet up towards its head.

And then there is the viaduct, where the path crosses a deeply lush and green chasm below, and the Tors dominate the high skyline above. In the distance, water tumbles down the face of a dam...

Holly blues still having a good year

Feeding away quite peacefully

The peaceful greenery of The Granite Way

Very tatty red admiral seems to be trying to turn itself into a swallowtail

I'd be shy, if I were that tatty

Speckled wood

Surprised looking butterfly

And another, sunning itself on a fence

The viaduct. The railway carriages contain a cafe

The far Tor

The waterfall
...so onto Meldon Reservoir itself, 900 feet above sea level and boasting a dizzying drop down its wall, where the water falls into a turmoil at the bottom. There's less life here, almost as if it is in awe of this power.
Looks fairly normal here

But there falls the water

On one side tranquillity

And on the other, the drop 
It's a long time since I'd been back in Devon. It is still beautiful up there.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 30.08.15

9 comments:

  1. Its always surprising to me how often you see the Holly Blue, and how seldom you get to see an open wing view of the female in all its glory. looks like you were lucky with yours. Interesting write up, your photographs remind me of my Devon trips.

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  2. We haven't had great weather here recently, but so glad you enjoyed your visit to Dartmoor.

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  3. Lovely to see so many butterfules, we've had a poor year for them in Edinburgh (other than ringlets)

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  4. Thanks for your kind comments! Butterflies have suffered where I am, but there was a decent turn out down south.

    It's a vast open space up there. All manner of things could be happening!

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  5. Beautiful indeed Si and a far cry from up here in North Yorkshire.

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  6. Beautiful butterfly photos!
    We had a rainy and cool summer and some butterflies only in August. They are much too fast for me... :)

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  7. It looks a great place, will have to bear that in mind.

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  8. THanks for dropping in Sara, always good to see a new reader! Yep bad year for flutterers in the main, orange tips devastated, red admirals and peacocks having a bad year.

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  9. Lovely place - we were there a couple of years ago and cycled along the Granite Way! Fond memories.

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