News Report

In an apology to Joe "It's a full and manly goatee" Ray, the Exe Gull-billed Tern blamed fatigue at the end of a long season for its failure to evade the Backward Birder. "Look, I did my best, ok?" The Tern said to our reporter, "I was up and down and all over the place - let me tell you it's no easy feat flying past Abbotsbury, Slimbridge and Slapton on half a dozen flies and a worm..." Sources in the birding community agreed that the Gull-billed had indeed done an excellent job of gripping the Backward Birder off - showing well only when he was out of reach, and being careful to fly off with at least an hour to spare before his earliest arrival time. Though the [in]famous blogger had previously threatened to come out in the evening, even saying he'd "Stay until dark to get that [DELETED] thing!", this was widely dismissed as "About as likely as that albatross...". So far, no official comment has been forthcoming from Joe "Will you stop calling me that!" Ray, though he is doubtless disappointed that his latest grip lasted less than a day.

I'd like to apologise for the above, and blame too much Reservoir Catz.....

Yes, after finally completing my course [yay!] [[subject to having passed the Exam of Doom, that is....]] I got home to find the frickin' Gull-billed had popped up at Bowling Green again, and Joe had seen it. I am, of course, very pleased for him - few things are more satisfying than getting a dipped bird. I resolved to go up in the evening and ambush the bugger as it came in to roost on the rising tide. Yup, dirty tactics. :)

Sat in the hide with only mozzies and half a dozen intrepid fellow birders for company, we had as our entertainment a Roe Deer, the Coobeasties, a cloud of hirundines [mostly Sandies], and now 10 Lapwing [plus a few other odds and sods]. Then the silence was shattered by the call "Gull-billed Tern off the Platform!". We wandered down [[No, we didn't run; we were calm, sedate, and walking....briskly.... ;) ]] and sure enough there it was! Woo! Got some lovely views under the increasingly spectacular sunset, with one of the Spotshanks a bonus, and then to cap it all the sight of the Sand Martin roost in the reeds.... It was like the Starlings on the Levels [only with prettier calls and more agility] - hundreds and hundreds of them skydancing and calling.. I say 'Wow!' a lot, you know, but, well.... WOW!

I did manage to make an idiot of myself, having absorbed the 'dark primary wedge equals 2cy' but not the 'head markings as adult winter' part of all my literature... Oh well, being thought a fool is not something I'm too bothered about - I wear that hat of my own free will, after all. ;) Coming back up the lane another surprise - dozens and dozens of froglings!! Very tricky walking around them all in the gathering dark, they were everywhere!