Make That Double Dipper....

Bum.

I gave the Dusky 2 1⁄2 hours this morning, but not a sniff of it. The wind had shifted and picked up, and if its still in the area its gone somewhere with more shelter and less access. Not unexpected, but still.... dips hurt. I did succeed in stalking and seeing various tacking Robins and Wrens in assorted hedges, which is good practice at least [[Yes, straws, clutched at]]. A few hardy souls, both new and familiar were also in on the collective misery, and, well, that's all I have to say.

So, time to head back, but perhaps there was a consolation - a nice drake American Wigeon has been hanging around with the Wigeon on the Exe. With the tide up and going down, a detour to Cockwood Crossing might provide a welcome Devon Tick?

Would it hell... A thousand or so Wigeon, ok not that close but with the Big Scope all I needed was line of sight. I got a tantalising glimpse, but they kept getting flushed [never saw by what, trains didn't seem to bother them, nor planes...] and as the tide went down, the dead zone of Shutterton Creek got bigger, and then half of them plonked down in it. The rest [557 - yes I counted them!] spread out nicely [at last] and showed the yank was not amongst them.. Rats. Then they too flushed into the Creek. After almost 2 1⁄2 hours [again..] in the cold I left, muttering about damming that damn creek.....

[[Edit: I also saw some nice birds, as you'd expect on the Exe, including R-B Mergansers showing quite well, and one of those very white Shags, plus Redshank and Curlew coming quite close, oh and the Brents were as gorgeous as ever. So not an entire loss, but still vexing. At Gore Lane a female GSW was quite nice if a little brief and the first 4 Fieldfare of the autumn {for me} went over.]]

For the Goddess of Birding Blesses Whom She Pleaseth and Punishes Whom She Pleaseth and She May Not Be Predicted.