A short while ago I took a ride over to the beautiful wild countryside of Exmoor. On spotting a couple of stonechats I pulled into a convenient lay-by to watch them for a while. These birds get their name from their distinctive call which sounds like two stones being clicked together; a sound which, once heard, is never forgotten. The stonechats spent a considerable time feeding on the ground before flying up to perch on top of the gorse, where one usually catches first sight of these birds.

Driving through Exmoor is always a delight as you never know what you might see, be it a herd of red deer, beautiful Exmoor ponies or maybe even an adder. The thing that really surprised me on this visit though was seeing every springtime plant within a short distance of each other. For example, snowdrop, crocus, lesser celandine, primrose and daffodil all out at the same time, something I have never encountered before. Years ago you would see the snowdrop and crocus come and go, then the lesser celandine which was followed by primrose and daffodil.

Although it was lovely to see all these plants, it does show how things have changed regarding nature over the years which can, in turn, have a knock on effect on the wildlife. Exmoor is a beautiful place to visit anytime of the year and it will sometimes even throw up the odd surprise, so why not pop up there and see what you can find.

LB Loxley