After finally getting that dratted Scaup on Friday [woohoo], I resolved to keep the momentum going by trying to hoover up some more wildfowl that I'd missed out on the weekend before [and the one before that, too].
However, with more Things to Do, it was a flying visit to Exminster, to yomp down the towpath / levee as far as needed to find some naughty geese, then back home for lunch.
It was supposed to be that. The weather was not ideal, and the birds were feeling very difficult. But I persisted.
This photo has a name;
"Bloody autofocus!!"
Ahem.
Canada and Brent Geese were easy to find and in numbers. I, however, was looking for others; three Barnacle Geese, two Egyptian Geese.. [And perhaps one Snow Goose...::mumble mumble::]
After a whole lot of looking and getting blasted by sideways drizzle, I eventually was in the right place [about where the Bluethroat was.. ::mutter::] to see the Snow Goose fly in and sort of pose. On the far side of the railway line...
Spot the Snow Goose
You think that's bad?
Spot the Barnacle Geese!
Two heads are better than none..
[Yes, went there. No, not sorry]
This after far too long stood trying different angles. While I was doing that, The Artist happened by and told me he'd had a GWE fly right over him at Powderham... [Birds like him.] Useful gen, and we'll get back to that.
Anyway, I eventually concluded no Gyppos were with this lot, so I worked back up, re-checking all the goose groups I'd gone through on the way down.
No Gyppos.
Drat.
I did see a few things closer to;
A vocet
Muscovy Duck
One of eight hanging about the Turf Hotel; I don't know if they've acquired them or if they'd wandered down on their own bat from somewhere or other.
One lone Brent came close..
Ditto Red-breasted Merganser
Kingfisher!
So, that was that.
Home? Well yes, but via Powderham Castle, Cockwood, the back of Starcross, indeed anywhere along a theoretical flight path a GWE might have decided to pitch down.
Did I find it?
Do I sound like I'm gloating?
Nope, I sound like I got soggy for not even a Cattle Egret! Don't know-sorry- didn't know where they were hiding. [CE have taken up at the Railway Saltmarsh, it seems]. The GWE had done a turn somewhere, or just found dead ground [not hard, they can vanish into tiny drainage ditches, after all]. It's still around, though. As are the Gyppos.
Drat. I'll be back. Insert cliche's of your choice, peoples.
Home. Munch. Out.
I had business in Town, and was now running very much later than I'd planned. Still had just enough light to check the Real Living Coast, where despite frisky seas 6 Purple Sands and 2 Turnstones were to be found;
Sandpiper Purple
"Got any sammiches??"
Nothing even slightly non Shorm-like on the choppy seas. Game Over For The Day.
After an enforced head break, I was able to get out on the Patch Sunday afternoon, and so went once again looking for things on the sea [a bit windy for land birds, despite all the surprise sunshine]
What a difference a day makes.
The sheltered side of the peninsula had the birds;
Great Northern
Another
Glowing Gannet
Now for something less welcome.
Lazy scum.
Words fail, they really do. I can understand - while feeling disregard towards - people for whom closing a gate is just too much effort, but to actually batter it down??
[This comes after the council have taken away* the cctv camera put up to stop fly tipping, vandalism and so on, of course]
Ahem.
Moving on..
No Wallcreepers
Scenery
Look very very closely...
Spot the Red-throated Diver!
Yes, right in the middle... You can see it's a pale-backed diver with lots of white on the throat, stretching well back towards the nape. No, really you can.
In between taking the scenery shot and the diver shot, the Sun had suddenly vanished behind a bank of cloud and the light level crashed. Very irritating, not that at those ranges I'd have had much better to show, I admit.
But yes, like decloaking Klingons, they suddenly were everywhere; RTDs at last. At least 4 from Petitor to Watcombe, couple of probables further north. Also 5+ GNDs from Petitor to Hope's Nose and at least 4 GC Grebes..
I have more like that last shot, but even I'm not that cruel. So instead let's have some scenery.
Looking up the coast
Looking East
The Longquarry Hole
Gratuitous Head Shot
;)
Sub-glacial deposits 'head', that is! Though the ice sheets never got further south than touching the north Devon coat, it still got pretttty cold, and freeze-thaw shattered rocks in soil deposits [known as head. Yes, really; Geology has some interesting terminology] still survive in places. Not to be confused with raised beach deposits, which are also frequent about the Patch's coastline [eg. at Hope's Nose]. Head tends to be more jumbled angular bits, while beach material is, well, beach material; pebbles or cobbles, usually rounded and often well-ordered [some at HN is in herring bone, even].
Crows
Why? Because.
Persistence strikes again.
Be Seeing You...
[[*Well, it could have been stolen. I wouldn't be shocked.]]
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