Backward Birding: The Umpteenth Post

17 January, 2018

The Umpteenth Post

I'm interrupting the ~~seemingly endless~~ ongoing process of ketching up to put in some more recent news.

Reasons therefore; firstly, because otherwise there'd just be yet another one in the line, also because this is almost news, and perhaps most of all because this is my thousandth post [yes, a thousand posts and he still won't shut up....] and I wanted it to be about one thing in particular;

The Patch.

Which is what I've spent the last few days [when not working, alas] going over.

It is also the core and chief subject of this here blog - well, chasing birds about it, anyway - and so really can only be the subject of what really is an entirely arbitrary number?

Right.

The weather having taken a turn for the more 'interesting' and not an onshore blast, I decided to do so much bashing not only in the most likely vain hope of finding something interesting, but of course [as he hasn't mentioned it yet] as my knee is still not quite right and I didn't want to mess about too much by say wandering up and about on t'Moor for 20 k's or so..

With the offshore winds, I also wanted to see if there was anything much roosting off Blackball, or indeed sheltering about the sheltered bits of the coast. [Bit of a cheat there, as The Boss had snuck on Patch and taken a brilliant GND shot the day before...]

What follows is nowhere near that level, you will be unsurprised to learn, being somewhere between 'aaaargh my eyes' and 'oh, yes, that is that I suppose' in quality. But what do you expect from me, hmm?

Rather than go into day by day and babble on even more, I shall summarise;

Onshore, a large number of Blackcaps have shown up - the 1w male who is still lurking often on my balcony [and has learned to use the mix feeder, too] is not an exception - as a morning's meander got me into double figures.

Completely different male Blackcap

There is at least one Blackstart knocking about; I've had female type sightings three times around Lyme View estate, and it or another was calling near the horrifically re-painted and -named pub down the road from the theatre. There have been absolutely no signs of anything even vaguely Hawfinch-like, much to my disgust. Otherwise, the usual winter birds have been about, and much to my joy, at least one local LTT band has found my fat feeder! :D

Photos of birds have been rather problematic, with that/those Blackstarts being right little so and so's I can tell you. I'm not giving up. In the mean time, here are the odd things that did sit still;

Poisonpie sp.? Bitter, I think

[almost stepped on while looking for scoters!]

Yes, a flashed fungus. Whatever next...

Yup

Things are growing

All sorts of thing

Snowbells

Snowdrops!

Ok enough.

Now from nice close almost in focus if it wasn't for the wind, to dots on the water... :)

About the coast of the Patch, there have indeed been a few birds knocking about. The dolphins seem to have moved off, but that could just be the swell and the timing.
The Blackball roost has been a bit underwhelming in numbers, but not too shabby in variety, as indeed have the other coves I've been looking at.

Kittiwakes

Almost entirely the odd GND and GC Grebe plus scattered auks, of course, but not to sniff at.

I have far too many pictures, so I shall endeavour a measure of self control;

GC Grebes off Blackball

Ditto

GC Grebe, Hope Cove

GND, Hope Cove

Guillemot, Hope Cove

I rather like those three. Very nice comparison there, don't you agree?
Perhaps a 1w Cormorant would be a useful fourth, but you can't have everything.

Another GND, Hope Cove

Most GC Grebes; 37 in three groups on Monday evening [among the showers], most GND; 6 along the peninsula on Saturday [with 5 at Monday's roost]. Also on Monday 126 Kittiwake [some up there], a Common Gull, 2 LBB [adult graelsii] and an interesting dark-headed dark-backed gull sp.

Five ~~blobs~~ gulls

at dusk

On Saturday, a Puffin was off Black Head [I have a dot photo!], on Sunday a BN Grebe and a 1w RTD off Blackball - the latter and presumably the same further up the coast on Monday evening - and finally a diver sp. which I just couldn't get anything clinching on flew north just before 1630 the same day.

Something else;