Well, we've managed to finally find an internet cafe!
The putative panther seems to have caused a stir, but it simply pales into insignificance alongside our ghostly encounter on a quiet lane, miles from anywhere....are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin...
We'd just clambered up a particularly punishing hill and had gratefully collapsed into the gateway of a field for a five minute rest break. Drinks and dried apricots at the ready, we were quietly chatting when we heard footsteps approaching from up the lane. A large, very thick hedge obscured our view down the lane - recessed in the gateway as we were - so we couldn't see the approaching walker although he was clearly a large fellow judging by the sound of his approach.
Just before he hove into view the footsteps suddenly ceased. Puzzled, we both stopped chatting and looked up to see why the person had stopped. There was nobody there! Before we could say anything the footsteps were BEHIND us and very heavy sounding indeed, as if a horse were walking right past our backs! Spinning around we viewed an empty field. Mystified, and a little on edge by now, we peered into the field for signs of the person. I jumped the gate and ran into the middle of the field...a single rabbit was all, not even a horse, cow or sheep and certainly no person.
So - what was it then? Not imagination, we both clearly heard footsteps come to within ten feet of us, maybe a bit less. Then they stopped. Five seconds later they were directly behind us in an empty field and they had passed THROUGH THE MIDDLE of a mature, very thick hedgerow!!!!
Panthers, ghost walkers, steep hills...I can hardly wait to see what Devon has to offer us!!
We've been taking it easy so far, still breaking ourselves in so to speak. Marsland on the Cornwall/Devon border is just a few more miles ahead of us, home to PBF and SPBF, Dingy and Grizzled Skippers. We met up with Cornwall BC at Phil Harris' PBF walk at St Breward and arrived to something of a hero's welcome!!
with several participants chucking pennies into the charity pot swinging from Sami's pack. We had a quick photo session, then we tried to persuade them to start a Facebook page. Hopefully they will. Oh, the butterflies! We managed about 6 or 7 Pearl-bordered Fritillaries including a pair
in cop, something we hadn't witnessed before. Then the clouds came over and put an end to play.
Large and Green-veined Whites are commonplace, Small Whites and Orange-tips less so, but still regular. Walls are all along the coastal strips, we saw a Common Blue yesterday, our first of the year. We've seen Peacocks and Speckled Woods but not much else yet. Fox Moths are common whizzing across the maritime heath in the evenings. I had a very probable Black Kite, but the views were just too brief which is exasperatingly annoying as I've never self-found one in Britain before (despite stringing various Marsh Harriers/Buzzards over the years!
) but I really do feel that this was the real deal. Grrrrrrr. There's been an influx of Bee-eaters, Golden Orioles and various Mediterranean waifs and strays this last week (some of my friends twitched the Cream-coloured Courser yesterday, low-listing scummers - I don't need it!
) so a Black Kite down here is entirely feasible. Sigh...
Anyway - places to go, butterflies to see! Hoping to bump into Rogerdodge in a few day's time (sorry for the delay - we took a couple of day's break with our Pirate mate in St Blazey!) where we can swap stories over a beer or three. Then we'll be heading across Exmoor and heading towards Sand Point's Glanvilles and Bristol before crossing into Wales to begin the Offa's Dyke Path northwards.
Time to stop ambling and put some serious mileage behind us!!!
Cheers for now,
Seth and Sami
