It's not often in this crowded country where you can go somewhere and experience an absence of any mechanical or human produced sound. Here we were lucky enough to have just that experience and it was bliss! 
The only sounds we did hear were the babbling stream which kept us company along the valley floor and the occasional bleating sheep and 'seeping' call of the resident Meadow Pipits.
One of our target birds to see here was the Whinchat and here is a beautiful male. 
Again, these photos were taken from a distance and well cropped as both the male and female appeared to show signs that they were nesting nearby.
Some birds just make the heart race faster when you see them. This is one of those for me!
This is a little streamlet that runs down a side gully to the valley floor. I could spend alot of time just sitting here. It's just too pretty!
Here is a beautifully sculptured old Hawthorne tree. I wonder how old it is?
The stream that runs along the valley is perfect for Grey Wagtails. I snapped a couple of shots of this male while he was fly catching in a Hawthorn tree.
To finish this walk, here is a photo of the heath covered hills on Exmoor National Park. In September this will be a riot of purple heather! 
Maybe I'll do a return trip in the autumn to see that. 
10 comments:
Wow Jen a Whinchat, you lucky person!! Such a lovely bird. That is a beautiful area and you took some great scenes. Such an amazing place the Exmoor area.
And shoot while I was here talking about brain cells not firing just so I forgot to tell you how much I loved the West Somerset hike and the babbling stream and the Hawthorne and male Grey Wagtail! It is such a great joy to come here and see such different birds and countryside. Country Husband said it is all more special because we see pictures and narration by someone we "know". For a guy that is pretty surface-ie that was on the edge of deep for him!
Beautiful entry Jenny!
That winchat is a neat little bird - beautiful shots! I love how you describe the scene - a babbling brook sounds lovely and peaceful!
Spectacular Jenny! What a beautiful place. Yes go back in September please...unless your here!! hahaha! The bird photos are wonderful!
The Winchat is a very beautiful bird! Such good photos, too! That looks like a lovely place to ramble. I agree that it is so hard sometimes to get away where it is just nature and nothing of man. I think that is why I enjoyed last week at the falls and nature preserve...so quiet except for birds and water.
Wow! what a beautiful place and the Winchat looks good too.Am sure you would love to go back again.
Hi Roy, did you visit Exmoor much when you were down this way? I do love it. I wish it was a wee bit nearer. That whinchat was my bird of the day! (-:
Hi RR, do you mind me calling you that? (-: Glad you are enjoying our Brit nature. Ditto! Your CH is a keeper I'd say! (-:
Hi there Shelley, it really is one of those birds that make you exclaim when you see one, much like you must do with your loons I bet. (-:
Hi Evie, I will defo try and make a return trip for the heather spectacular, I'll need to get a carload to help share the petrol costs. Fancy popping over for that? (-:
Hi Mary, it is a great place for walking, we could have gone alot further, but had to get back home for making dinner! (-: Glad you had a nice peaceful moment at your nature reserve too!
Hi Arunava and Shantana, yes I will try and go back.....hopefully!
Hi Jenny,
Wow Whinchat male are really beautiful and you got it really well... I would like to see one, but warblers types-birds are quite rare in our lattitude... The place you wlaked around seems to be wonderful, peaceful and full of life... I'm eager to get the next stop..
This is that kind of countryside in which I can clearly imagine Frodo and Sam walking through on their way to the Tolkein adventure! Peaceful and GREEN.
Nice post with excellent pictures and details.
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