2003...

That's just a ridiculous number.....

It's too many to watch, let alone enjoy. You'd just be counting as fast as ever you could. Quite spoiled their day, I'm sure...

Jammy sods.

But that's not why I'm posting. I got a bit carried away, what with actually finding something good [ok, yes and losing it almost immediately...] that I forgot Friday. I'm a bad bad blogger, and my wrists have been smacked accordingly...

So, Friday morning I did not go to bed and get some sleep, but instead went over to the Exe to look for birds on the high high tide. :) Osprey, Curlew Sand, and Little Stint were my targets - all had been seen, so there was, I thought, a fair chance.

So did a lot of other people, as the hide was standing room only. The misty conditions at least prevented heat haze [until it burned off, anyway] and well over 1000 waders were on display for our enjoyment. Among them were the highlights of a Little Stint, a Ruff and at least 2 Curlew Sandpipers, plus a lone Avocet, 2 Snipe and 2 Green Sand. There had evidently been a fair bit of disturbance, [not least by the coobeasties, who had a bull with them] as a lot of the waders were on the near side of the main pool, giving some very nice views indeed. The Ruff in particular, though very mobile showed delightfully, doing a fair phalarope impersonation in the water. 6 Ringed Plover were good for Bowling Green, and 5 immature Shelduck were new since I was last on site. Another cause of disturbance showed up early on - a dog Fox, which had a roll in some mud [or something...] before sloping off. All the ducks nearby grouped together and shadowed him - from a safe distance - which was quite amusing to watch "We've got our eyeth on you, matey...".

Disturbance was a bit of an understatement when an adult Peregrine showed up and even the cattle got nervous! There followed some interesting tactics during two sustained attacks - firstly the falcon flew back and forth over the cowering throng, who stayed resolutely on the water, none panicking into flight. After a while the Peregrine [which didn't even risk getting its feet wet..] gave up and flew off, only to return later, and after a couple of similar passes, gained some height, then displayed an awesome turn of speed as it banked over and dived at the waders, before turning in over the grass and barely missing a Pied Wagtail! The sudden acceleration, and the way it dived one way while actually being after something over there was amazing, and the speed at which it all happened; I've seen Sprawks come in fast and low there, but the Peg was something else...

The second attack really put the wind up the waders, with all of the smaller ones deciding elsewhere was a good place to be, so I decided it was time to go looking for a nice Osprey to round the morning off. The platform gave no joy, so I headed over to Powderham, but the dead tree contained a Grey Heron, not a bug-eyed fish-grabber. Ratses, dipped again. I checked the estuary from all the vantage points I could get to, but still no Osprey. Oh well...