Country diary: A morning walk, interrupted by a strange spring rarity

Ninebanks, Northumberland: The alien oddness of star jelly has led some to believe it came from meteors. The truth is far more visceralIt's a long drag up the rutted lane from Ninebanks to Ouston Fell but, with sun clearing through the mist, it feels good to be up early and out walking. Peewits cry overhead, flying over the track on rounded wings, swooping and tumbling in exuberant displays. Among the flock a few curlews glide, uttering the double note that inspired their name, before erupting in full-throated bubbling. Larks rise up from the tufty hillside to trill with musical notes; we strain to spot them against sky and cloud.The moor is boggy after rain. We jump puddles and ditches, or flatten clumps of field rush to make mats to walk on. Spongy sphagnum mosses shine in vivid mounds of ruby and emerald. They can hold many times their own weight in water, slowing the flow and reducing flooding. Continue reading...