Where Have You Been In Your Van Today?

[Ayjay]

Impressive bug haul for the first day!

I’ve got one of those as well!

We’re now pitched at Camping Les Saumonards on Ile d’Oleron,Charente Maritime. Temps in the early 30s and very humid when we pitched up yesterday PM but a big (and unforecast!) thunder storm overnight cooled things down a bit. Pic to follow when I get out of my pit.

 

[Bigsidavies]

Good because the seals are chomping their way through the salmon population. And their numbers have exploded.
With our rivers being pretty much devoid of water all season the salmon can’t enter the rivers and as a result stay in the sea where they are heavily predated on by the seals and dolphins.
I noticed the pic of the dolphins it had a salmon in its mouth.
I ran a wee fishing boat in the Tay estuary for many years and watched the dolphins feed very close up.
They would work in 2 different pods.
One pod would wrangle the salmon or sea trout so they started to jump out the water and the other pod would come in at speed at 90 degrees to them and pick off the salmon in mid air.
I’ve watched them celebrate their catch by playing tennis with the fish. Slapping it out of the water with their tails back and forth to each other.
Spectacular animals to watch and so much bigger than you think up close.

Yeah amazing to watch. You can see them at Chanonry Point work in semi circles corralling the salmon in towards the beach then they have a salmon-fest.
I actually had my camera away from my face and that dolphin jumped so I just pointed it in the rough direction and held the shutter down and amongst the blurred pictures of water and splashes I got an actual dolphin pic. Only realised afterwards that it had a salmon in it’s mouth.
Amazing watching the Orca hunting seals too.

 

[Ayjay]

I’ve got one of those as well!

We’re now pitched at Camping Les Saumonards on Ile d’Oleron,Charente Maritime. Temps in the early 30s and very humid when we pitched up yesterday PM but a big (and unforecast!) thunder storm overnight cooled things down a bit. Pic to follow when I get out of my pit.

This is the pitch. Because it's near the beginning of the season, only half of the site is open but there's still plenty of room. It's a bit basic and the mobile data connection is carp but the location makes up for it - it's only boy 2Km troll to the village with a harbour and good scofferies plus the beach is only about 200m alogn a track through the forest and it's beautiful - big, sandy and very uncrowded. That said, the sea needs to be a lot warmer before either off us venture in past the toes (we're both self-confessed wimps and need to be a hell of a lot further south and later in the year before that happens).

 

[Cliffwah]

Just booked East Fleet Farm, outside of Weymouth from Sunday to Wednesday, make the most of the good weather that’s due…. I hope. Then away to Van life festival @ Scampston Hall for the weekend.

 

[Kind of Blue]

I believe that the big threat to wild salmon is farmed salmon through decease and lice man has impacted wild life of our oceans in other ways too. The salmon farms also have licence to shoot seals. We do not buy farmed salmon any more and if the industry collapsed if everyone did the same the world and wild life would be better for it is my view.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

I believe that the big threat to wild salmon is farmed salmon through decease and lice man has impacted wild life of our oceans in other ways too. The salmon farms also have licence to shoot seals. We do not buy farmed salmon any more and if the industry collapsed if everyone did the same the world and wild life would be better for it is my view.

People just don’t realise how toxic the farmed salmon they buy really is.
The fish farms have had a devastating effect on the natural salmon

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

Yeah amazing to watch. You can see them at Chanonry Point work in semi circles corralling the salmon in towards the beach then they have a salmon-fest.
I actually had my camera away from my face and that dolphin jumped so I just pointed it in the rough direction and held the shutter down and amongst the blurred pictures of water and splashes I got an actual dolphin pic. Only realised afterwards that it had a salmon in it’s mouth.
Amazing watching the Orca hunting seals too.

I’ve never seen the orcas before but would love to.
I’m up the east coast next month. I go to Helmsdale every year for the grilse run. I take the camper and my laddie. It’s beautiful up there.
Hopefully all the salmon won’t be eaten in sea before I get there.
I’ve to be careful with my dogs as there’s a nest of adders on the river bank.

 

[GUMY]

I did unexpectedly get within touching distance to a seal many years ago.

We spotted a baby seal just off the causeway to Lindisfarne last year. Stopped to investigate in case it was injured or sick. Appeared to be perfectly OK, and utterly unbothered by us. very surprised how close it let us get. As soon as we were satisfied it was OK we backed off and left it to it's siesta!

 

[GUMY]

Heading off to Anglesey on Sunday and probably Puffin Island in the hope of seeing some puffins I was out there fishing on my brother in law's boat many years ago when a seal popped up unexpectedly, apparently looking to see if there was any free fish on board. Also spotted one gambolling around close to shore off Ainsdale beach a couple of years ago, when there were quite a few people splashing around in the shallows. They do seem to be remarkably happy to get up close with humans, considering what bar stewards we can be.

 

[Ayjay]

plus the beach is only about 200m alogn a track through the forest and it's beautiful - big, sandy and very uncrowded

It turns out that it was our own private beach as well (with unbroken blue sky above and a temp in the late 20s/early 30s). It was the same in the other direction for about 1Km. I can feel a cauldron of moules coming on now.

 

[Jarvie.I]

Glen Lyon in Highlands.

 

[Bigsidavies]

People just don’t realise how toxic the farmed salmon they buy really is.
The fish farms have had a devastating effect on the natural salmon

Including the massive use of antibiotics in the farmed salmon which obviously aren’t contained so reduce the wild salmon resistance to disease over time.

 

[Bigsidavies]

I’ve never seen the orcas before but would love to.
I’m up the east coast next month. I go to Helmsdale every year for the grilse run. I take the camper and my laddie. It’s beautiful up there.
Hopefully all the salmon won’t be eaten in sea before I get there.
I’ve to be careful with my dogs as there’s a nest of adders on the river bank.

Keep your eye on the various FB cetacean pages. They were seen in Helmsdale end of last week. They were up that coast at Staxigoe and the Trinkie near Wick earlier this week. You’ve just got to be quick and get in front of them when they are spotted.

 

[TheGrapeEscape]

Last nights camper meet at Etties Field, was a great turn out.

 

[cgtmiles]

Last nights camper meet at Etties Field, was a great turn out.

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Looks like a great meet! But there is part of me thinking that with all those vans there and no caravans/motorhomes etc the site loos will be getting a hammering!

 

[TheGrapeEscape]

Looks like a great meet! But there is part of me thinking that with all those vans there and no caravans/motorhomes etc the site loos will be getting a hammering!

To be fair it was okay. There are normal toilets on bottom right of pic, then little huts at top right of pic with toilets and showers

 

[ChestnutBrown]

Yet another beach visit with the missus and the dog in the Kombi. It’s so weird thinking how many trips we’ve done this year, to the same beach and car park (season ticket) compared to before getting the van.

It’s just so much more enjoyable…even though it pi$$ed down and the van is covered in wet dogs hair and sand.

 

[nigelcro]

Just arrived in Saumur after an uncomplicated drive up from St Jean de Luz.

32/90 degrees outside even at 5 o'clock in the afternoon - too hot for a walk around the town just yet.

 

[Square Peg]

A drive out to Glenridding today, with thoughts of climbing Helvellyn. We got as far as Red Tarn, but with an extremely gusty wind, discretion put paid to going further. We got to Red Tarn last year too, but couldn't even see the far end of the tarn, so was actually pleased to have a sight of the summit today.

A few brave souls were on Striding Edge, but more than a few turned back. Swirral Edge looked quiet too, but even at a few hundred foot lower we were at risk of being blown off our feet, so no surprises there.

 

[Badjamin]

Last nights camper meet at Etties Field, was a great turn out.

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You're a super camper meeter. How do you fnd out about em?