Today I tried getting a little shuteye before trying the weekday birding fun. Probably not wise, as a little turned into quite a lot and it was gone 12 before I got going...
With a hot day and light winds I decided to give the Small Red-eyed Damselflies another go, so off to the sewage works! [[Mad, mad I tell you...]] Definitely one for proper 'ardcore observers, with enough breeze of a variable nature to ensure all directions got the heady aroma of Exeter's produce on a hot day. Dedicated, that's me.
It was also a bit overcast, indeed more than I would have liked for odonata-watching, but as it was well above 20° [more like 27°!] I figured there'd still be activity. Which there was, though not as much as I expected. Still 6 species wasn't bad, and as Small Red-eyed Damselfly was among them, pretty good. Photos were attempted, though if they'll come out as even recognizably 'damselfly' is another matter.
As I made my way down the causeway, I kept an eye on the muddy bank of the Exe, wondering about wandering waders. A Dunlin-shaped stone seemed to be the best on offer, though the sight of a couple of Black Swans cruising upriver was some consolation. I like Black Swans. [[I'm sure DEFRA will shortly announce a cull to protect spanish swans from being turned grey... Was that too pointed? I don't have a problem with removing invasive species, but think Canadas or Himalayan Balsam would be a better place to start. Just because it isn't easy doesn't mean its not right.]] [[Ok, back to usual nonsense]]
I looped around the farm and on to the Old Sludge Beds, which were annoyingly odonate free [except for one Emperor]. Lots of choking chickweed and other plants, though. Reed Warbler and Water rail were vocal, but not a huge heap was happening as I munched an apple then headed for the canal. The floating stuff [its green and slimy...] had 5 species of damselfly battling for dominance, and eventually I found a few Small Red-eyeds, which stood out nicely once I had my eye in. Large Red-eyeds made up the bulk of the numbers, with a few Blue-taileds, the odd Common Blue and a single Azure the rest. Trying to photograph the Small Red-eyeds was not easy, as they, of course, kept out and kept moving, but I gave it a few shots. You never know, right? Then, with the rush hour looming I headed back, giving the Exe another scan as I got back to the causewa-
What's that? Tringa - probably a Green Sand. Carefully get as close as a river's width will allow and have a good look. Ooh, no it isn't a Green Sand, its a frickin' Wood! Happily pootling about the mud on the far bank, looking all purdy with the light behind me.. ::Determined-looking lightbulb appears overhead:: Right. I tried a couple of shots, despite my vowing never to photo a bird that wasn't completely still and at point blank range. Then, as I moved on a group of cyclists came by and it flew, landing on a large chunk of ex-tree. A Wood Sand on a bit of wood? Oh I had to. Even longer range, but worth the punt.
I was going to go on about how effort versus the heat and the smell was rewarded by some nice views of Small Red-eyeds, but the jammy Wood Sand, rewarding purely looking the right way at the right time, kinda deflates that. So instead I'll end with musing on how things sometimes work out neatly - oversleeping is not always bad, and blah blah blah. Oh, but here's the counter-thought; What on earth do we miss by those happy chances not stacking up just right? Plain Swifts, for one. ;)
Happy chances.... Mud. Wood Sand. Mud. Sky. Common Swift. White-throated Needletail. Sky. Woodpig. Sky. Plane.
Eyes up, folks.
No comments:
Post a Comment