Notices by Helen Clayton (helenclayton@mas.to)

Our yellow warning of wind has just been cancelled. Hurrah! Still pissing down with rain though.

More footage of the pod and a seal looking on.

@botvolution you beat me there 😂

Where are you, Cornwall?

@botvolution oh lovely. I got choughs too!

I blew the cobwebs away with a walk on the coast path today. As I sat down on the clifftop to eat my lunch, a dolphin leapt out of the water below…then another and another. I was treated to almost an hour of free dolphin watching. I settled down with my bins and a sausage roll and enjoyed the show. A truly special encounter. I even managed to film a fair bit on my camera. Here’s a short snippet.

#wildlife #dolphins #cymru

Another apple recipe because apples.

Husband reminded me that I hadn’t made this for a while so. It’s even better than I remember. Maybe it’s the apples (I used our bramleys).

The domestic goddess herself, Nigella’s butterscotch apple tart. Super easy and very yummy.

Recipe in toot below…

#food

#SilentSunday

Not the best photo but spotted some common dog lichen growing on a mossy bank. Once thought to be a cure for rabies because of the ‘fangs’.

#LichenSubscribe #Mosstodon

This is astonishing (and actual good news!)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/09/toronto-waterfront-soil-plants-worms

Husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary today with a nature bimble around Teifi marshes (last year we went to Tregaron bog so there’s a theme here) followed by a poke around Cardigan then a fancy dinner. Waitress said we were a stylish-looking couple so that’s a win (though she probably meant him really).

Apple cake made. Most recipes use a trifling amount of apple but this uses a generous 750g grams - it’s more apple than cake.

Also have a vat of apple compote on the go for breakfasts, and apple crumble for dessert later. I may just turn into an apple.

Now to pick up the latest windfalls 🍎 🍎🍎.

#food

@gemlog 8 here too and far too many for our use. I’m giving them away if I can. I’ve also discovered that the community food bank will gladly take home produce as well as groceries. Maybe you’ve something similar? Otherwise we have appley compost too.

Before the weather arrived I took some apples to our local National Trust place having an ‘apple weekend’, to get them identified. Still feeling rough and almost too feeble to hold my box of apples, but I’d been waiting for it and didn’t want to miss the chance. Probably should have waited until after identifying the apples to make my cider! But my instinct was correct and I used the best ones it seems. It turns out that I have a small cider apple tree but only enough fruit for a glassful.

Saw this beauty on my walk yesterday.

My immediate thought was of Artax in The Neverending Story (feels like that needs a CW).

#SilentSunday

For #UK and #Ireland folks, a house martin conservation group urgently needs details of still present colonies so that rehabbed birds can be released into them or at least to migration hotspots where HMs are. This is so they have the best chance to successfully migrate south. Mobile number and email address on their website.

https://housemartinconservation.com/rehabilitation

#Birds

But there was another visitor! The polecat has been to check it out.

They don’t seem interested in the food, went in then turned straight around. But they then spotted the trail cam and didn’t come out for about 5 minutes. Not hiding but just staring at the camera. In the end they went through the feeding station and out the other side.

Only one regular hedgehog visitor atm. My smallest one and they clearly know the drill, they are busy putting on weight in preparation for hibernation visiting the feeder back and forth from dusk till dawn. I won’t interfere yet but may weigh them later in the month.

The new feeding station has definitely foiled the cats too.

#hedgehogs

#SilentSunday.

There’s been some amazing cloudage this evening. Not sure what it portends.

#clouds