Also, a few items were found on the stages and parking area. So if you’re missing something, contact Carlos as he has them. Don’t expect a prompt reply though as he’ll have a mountain of e-mails to go through, not to mention the huge task of data imputing all the times.

I know what’s been found so if it’s urgent, mail me the description of what’s missing and i’ll let you know if he has it.
Please note! No personalities were found, so if you lost yours, you’ll need to get a new one… 😆

Great feed back.
I sadly wasn’t riding it,but I was there laying out the course, looking after registration and generally looking after things whilst Carlos was out checking the course and Marshalls.
Two days to mark the course out and we got it all down by 3 today.

Having marked the stages and then seeing the state of some of the corners and sections put a satisfied and devious grin on my face.

results take time to go up because all the data needs to be inputted by hand, by Carlos.

The three main people taking photos were a wife of rider 150, I’ve got her details, so hopefully will get some pics from ber, I’ll post up beer a link when I get one.

A chap from Jersey who pulled out due to injury, I suspect he’s the mate of a mate as mentioned earlier in a post.
The other guy was from roots and rain, so look there.

Very jealous to not rise the course, but I did manage to run some of it on foot whilst holding imaginary bars and pulling some serious shapes.

🙂

I’d offer to come up and do it, but my plastering days, certainly for ceilings are coming to an end due to injury.

😀

if you think you can roll it after a little pruning saw work, are you sure a chainsaw is needed?

Pruning saws are the tools that have done most the trail clearing up there and that’s mostly one by mtb’rs, so well done to all who have one there bit.

A few of worked on many fallen trees a while back including the frog combe area, but the side you mention was clear at the time, so it’s a newly fallen one. I’ll not take a chainsaw up there whilst the deer are dropping young and there’s lots of young birds about so it’ll have to wait till Autumn by which time a divert will no doubt appear.

It’s certainly taken a battering though, i’ve never seen it as bad as this in all my years up there.

Don’t have one. 🙂

Fantastic.
I can now run this alongside Monty and Glesn’s cam on the Dyfi..

Bunnyhop.
I was watching the local dippers hunt for their chicks last week, when i heard a familiar sound above me, when i looked up, i saw a kingfisher flying over with a fish in it’s beak. Head first suggesting it’s for someone else. 🙂

Teasel. What a fantastic deer. And a great trust it has.
It’s such experiences that brought my heart close to nature and keeps it there..

Excellent!

I can’t really help, i’ve only shot clays with a Bolt action shotgun, which would of been hard if i was left handed.

Try wearing an eye patch over your left eye, that way you can effectively shoot with both your eyes open.

Chard? Lol make sure you don’t get closer than near..
😉

I just had a couple wet hours walking in Sutton park.
Later I’m off to a whitesnake, journey gig.
Heading back to Somerset tomorrow.
Which campsite is that?
Mill farm, Fiddington?

Read or research something you’re interested in or have always wondered, why does…! Expand your knowledge..
I find the more i learn, the more i wish to know, but as i’ve an interest in the natural world, there’s no limited to my learning of it.

Idle minds are dangerous, get creative, make something..Cakes, models, etc.

I too was writing a book and also got writers block. Well the storyline and all the detail is there, only i lost the ability for the words to flow.

Photography now absorbs much or my free time. Either i’m taking pics, or finding out more about what i’ve taken a pic of.

Ere you are.

But here’s my brief guide to the Q’s top trails.

I’ve always said Bincombe is my favourite, perhaps because it’s not overly rode. It’a a trail of subtle incline that once you get to know it, becomes a twisty playful ribbon of giggles, features to get you flicking the ass end out, jinking left and right as you hurtle inches past tree stumps and roots laying in wait for your bad forward vision. From top to bottom 3-5mins of shits and giggles, thrills and spills. Pure natural fun.

Another fav will always be Somertons top section, but it’s been getting wider as the years go by as riders run wide scrubbing out a new rut. At it’s best it’s a fast and furious descent to the tree line along a moorland piece of single track, the worn shallow rut means that when the turns come, you can get the front tyre to stick so you don’t lose momentum, and after the slight pedally bit around back side the trail is just pure bliss as at speed you’ll get a little drift as you flick left, right, left, left and left mind the rock then into the trees, 80m and slight(18″ step) into rooty braking bumps, sharp right, moist butt and follow the wider track along side the stream, it gets pedally but crank it and enjoy.

Weacombe, mind the drop to the right most the way along it’s mile and a half length, though it’s not on the trail itself, so eyes ahead(once they’ve stopped rattling in side your head from the stuttery first 150m) Pin it at your own peril, Weacombe is just waiting for the over enthusiastic it will bite, It’s non steep and non technical, it’s just FAST!

Frog combe, traverse or Roller coaster. Not an obvious to find trail but if you survive the initial steepish rooty run in, the reward along the traverse is a very natural twisty piece of 400mm trail, that joins the main frog combe trail near the bottom. I like because it bit me tearing my ACJ and collapsing my lung, so i bit it back, harder.

Smiths is a love hate affair for me. Love it because it has a good mix, grass, roots, stoney, hard pack and stream crossings.
Hate because i always have a bad feeling about it once i let go of the brakes on the mid section. It’s not a comfy landing…And the climb out usually bitch’s at me.
From Beacon hill trig, it’s a mile long.

If you want pure speed, followed by a burger, you’ll be after the descent North of the Hill fort (Dowsborough) It’s wide, there’s a few bumpy bits on the first hundred metres then it’s loose stone till it rises for moment, about enough to gather your breath then it’s down, down, more loose stuff making a drifty left and then into the trees to a gate. Careful in there, there’s monsters lurking on the ground ready to spit you off course and watch the long right hander at the bottom, trees hurt.

Did you say your favourites? Then let me continue…

Slaughterhouse, Concrete block, Dead womans ditch north side, and te Hare knapp splits(two choices) even holly bush gives me the necessary smiles.

And that’s just on the Heath and combe.
The Forestry has alot on offer too but these aren’t named so are not so easy to find. There’s Sam’s track and the Chimney dropping into Great wood, then in Cockercombe there’s around 40 DH runs of varying difficulty, most can be ridden on a HT IMO.

That’s enough to keep most people busy for a weekend or two.

Enjoy!

Knoller is a poplier klimb, as well as bean a poplier walking route.
It’s a veree rapid descent which doesn’t realee go together with other users of the coome.
Also as Buzz said, it’s lacking features to rival other ways down into the western flanks of the tox.

If you were to drop it, the only sencibal waaaahay back up, is to run back up the greenway to the base of Weeweecum and ass end up rand the plantation to the car park. Which technically aint a ROW.
There r other ways up from there, but they’re a fools way up.

As for that route. That looks to me like a classic, ‘look at a map and make it up with out riding the route or even the area’ one.

Utterly dire and barely an introduction to the hills in a positive way. Get some free full days and explore the central combes more. And head to Triscombe for more steep and techy riding.

Somewhere in the vaults of here is my trail by trail breakdown of the very bestest the Q’s have to offer. I’ll see if i can find it.

Organic355.
Its not the first dead rat or any animal I’ve handled, but do practice a little caution like hands washed well before eating.
I also eat random wild foods without washing them. But here i am alive and well and have been without illness for more than three years.
Perhaps all the germs, fresh air, exercise, life devoid of stress and too many people have given my immune system a boost and can handle things as they should.

A diet of non processed food, and lots of beer probably helps too.
its just a shame i can’t beat hayfever without medication. Then i won’t need any pharmaceuticals in my system at all.

I’m sure that rat would of lived a full and healthy life if she didn’t suffer from baited traps and got drugged to death.

Whatever you do Bunny. Don’t strim them with bare flesh showing…

Not on that site, but all UK red listed species are on here. But the Moths are on the same listing as all land based invertebrae.

http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5169

Although not classified as a priority species. It is useful to record all finds in both larva and Adult form.

Here’s some more information on why we record.

http://www.mothscount.org/text/26/why_record_moths.html

The same goes for all wildlife really.

If records weren’t kept, decline wouldn’t be noticed until it’s too late.

Yup, A Goat Moth larva.
http://butterfly-conservation.org/files/1.goat-moth-species-factsheet.pdf

These moth are a Priority species and it would be of great use, is you could notify your County recorder of your find.

You can find your local recorder here.
http://www.mothscount.org/uploads/CMR_List_County_Format_04_03_2013.pdf

Fantastic find.

A few good smatterings on the lesser used woodlands of the Quantocks.
But here’s a little cluster that’s popped up in the corner of my Orchard.

Another week and the canopy will be awash with Apple tree Blossom. It’s gonna look rather wonderful.

I’ve just taken over 2 hives and am new to it all, so i can’t advise to much at all.

What you will experience is that many Beekeepers have their own ways of doing things, so find one that suits you, then adapt it as you go along.

Be prepared to have to feed them lots as the present climate doesn’t let the Bees forage as much as they may need for a growing colony.

I’m hoping to get the first suppers on soon, although today was very windy and cloudy, there was a fantastic amount of actively from the hives today. And with the Blossom starting to come out in the Orchard in which the bee’s reside, they can get off to a god start.

Ta bunnyhop.

It’s highly unlikely that a kestrel would even think about tackling a Weasel. A Weasel would take out a rabbit 10x it’s size.

Having said that, it has been observed where a kestrel continued to hover and stoop on a weasel crossing point whilst weasel/s were seen using it, unless the kestrel was making use of another rodent predator in the hope of grabbing a flushed out prey.

Cheers peeps.

Matt, ya coats over there > 😉

I’ve just topped the Orchard and strimmed the bit’s round the tree trunks with a Stihl.
But for a bit i left out the far end, i’m going to run the Scythe over it.

Fancy a Scythe?

Yunki, no, i was up to my nuts in it..

Molgrips. Far to young and i’m not sure they’d even sell on the open market down there in Belize.

Creg.

As long as you want. But you can’t just sit on your butt laping up the sun, sea and sand. 😉

Molgrips. Do you have daughters in their mid to late twenties? 😉

Muppetwrangler. You got it.

Yes you stay on the Island, with the sand flies and what appears to be various of her rather attractive friends.

Someone’s got to just run the boat back and forth.

Frank. That’s the one, pretty basic huh?

Someone will catch fish if you’re more use doing something else.
Keva, its Cockney caye, just off the small town of Hopkins.

Nope, it’s a design i’ve heard about. The version i heard about suggested interlinking the bottles with pieces of hose and the only way i can think of it working properly, would be to go in one end and out the other.

This is not me.

Grum. I should of put a space between your name and the previous statement. I was mearly rolling my eyes at your pun;)

Konabunny. It would only be sealed at the refill end, the other end would have a pressure release valve near the shower head. Or should i put in a few at intervals along the system?

I’ve hundreds of glass bottles and don’t fancy getting diabetes just to get a load of cans together.
Grum 🙄

Khani. I only need a hole a little bigger than the top of a bottle.

I was considering a diamond cutter with generous amounts of water.

Cheers, was wondering about other options, but seems, there isn’t many.

Yes, they’re glass bottles.

Teasel.
The Moth larva is almost certainly a Pale tussock moth larva. They are usually a stunning yellow like the one below that i found in South Devon along the coast path. The are known to have colour variations as well as hair length variations.
Do you recall it having dark sections and those distinct tufts?

I’m always interested in viewing new wild species, so if you’re within an area i visit or can incorporate it into a trip(any excuse) i could.
I’m mostly in Somerset, but like to explore. Mail me further details.

Nice Kernow Adder that. I didn’t see one on the whole of the SWCP when i walked it. But saw a few near Goongumpas when i was last there.

Sharks! Big fan and need to meet some. Hopefully if i sort out some money i can see a few off the coast of Belize this year. A friend has bought a small Caye and wants me over there helping out with developing it, loads of nurse Sharks there. 🙂

Bunnyhop. Shame it’s feeding itself and not fishing for it’s chicks…YET. Here’s hoping. Blimmin cracking experience for you. 🙂

Sorry i didn’t see this before, i’ve not run my name through the search engine recently.

But here’s one i put up yesterday. Brief and random as ever.

Enjoy.

Teasel. I can’t name the larva. Many are hairy, but that’s really hairy. I first thought it was a form of tussock moth larva, but they have more tufts along it’s back and are generally yellow/green. Maybe a Tiger moth or sorts but not any of the UK’s native species. I’m away from my moth book, so might have to come back to this.

And very Jealous of the Muntjac.

Qwerty, thanks. How’s the roof?

Essel, i recognise the Red Grouse and Bearded tit images. The red grouse one is exceptional and really works.

If in Brum for a few days and aren’t really getting my fix. I didn’t bring my DSLR and time in the outdoors is spent with a dog. Which just doesn’t work well with wildlife. Still a nice wander around Sutton Park today.

nice one red.
Nacho, the word work implies doing something for financial gain.
Therefore I don’t work in either.
But have a passion for wildlife that means wanting more than just the visual impact that a species has on me. I want more from it, I wish to know more, and learn from watching their behavior and also from reading about them. Although I lack the confidence to be a wildlife or field guide, I do know that knowledge can enthuse others about a subject more than an image alone will ever.
As for the photography, I just aim to take images that show a species in a way that best demonstrates its intricate detail, with the most natural look possible.
It takes hours or patience, failed attempts and frustration. And all for person knowledge gain and being able to share it all with those less privileged or aware enough so see things as I do.

When my castor dies I’ll go for a stihl as everyone I’ve spoken to who use them professionally recommend them for reliability reasons.

Thanks.
The one thing I’ve got round here that I am keen to photograph is a stoat. I’ve seen running through the orchard and amongst the wood piles, bit yet to work out its habits to work with.

I don’t think the Badger is showing symptoms of having TB, from all the various experts I’ve spoken too, they all suggest its from malnutrition.

The next month is vital to see if last year was damaging to the small colony of Duke of Burgundy butterflies that are on the site i survey.
The species is in rapid decline as they tend to form colonies of only a dozen. They appear from late April, peak in the two middle weeks in May and die off by the first week in june(in the north they appear generally and peak two weeks later). Food plants here seem to be delayed, hopefully the duke will be delayed also as its vital for them.

Teamhurtmore.
The images and videos were taken east of the Quantocks, the adder was seen and photographed at the butterfly conservation site south of Taunton in the Blackdown hills.

Cheer peeps, glad you enjoyed.

Yunki. Turf locks Mmmm! I’ve seen a Brown hare in the field out the back of here but could get anything like within range for a foto. You’ve had a great experience with one, i used to years ago when they were plentiful, then i shot most of them. 🙁

I guess i should of titled this. ‘Some of my wild life….’ as the list is a boring long monster.

The young Brock will have it’s work cut out to survive the gauntlet of survival, farmers and roads are just extra challenges for it.

On the subject of owls. There’s a barn owl and tawny’s near here and a hours ride away, i got to see short eared owls as well as a gorgeous pair of little owls that have taken up residency near a footpath and reward keen eyes of them out during the day.

Pinbob. Adders breed alternate years, so i wonder i Rattle snakes do to and you’ve getting them all on the same year..At least they warn you if you get near. Stay safe.