Potato!

Having a Friday afternoon, I decided instead of doing something productive or, indeed bashing the Patch, I'd get some more filthy twitching in. After regretfully deciding the Lizard was just too far, I went after a Devon Tick instead and not so much burned as splashed over to Budleigh.

Today has been one of warm sunshine, a brisk wind somewhere around the west, and some humungous showers-come-thunderstorms... Which made for an interesting time up on Otterton Ledge, with half an eye on the huge cumulonimbi, half on the big flocks of Linnets, and the rest on various bits of long grass, any of which could conceal the Richard's Pipit. I was not alone in my endeavours, as [Backwater Birder] was on site when I arrived and [Devon Birder] arrived as I did. Alas, the pipit is definitely elusive and indeed rather mobile and they both dipped. I, being mad more stubborn than is good for me younger and thus perhaps more wind-resistent, kept wandering about looking for the little bugger.

Following the theory that it didn't like the wind and had moved to get shelter from it, I headed further along the coast path until I found a bank/hedge thing. This bank/hedge thing had a couple of Stonechats sitting on it and I stopped to watch them and see what might be lurking in the lee of it or in the margins of the crop. Yes, that's right, potatoes! After a while I became aware of what sounded like a Richard's Pipit calling. This was not the first time, as most of the small birds around were trying their impressions. Still, it was a good one and I looked around to see what it was this time and, oh wait that's a big pipit with a long tail and a heavy bill and yes it sounds like the Richard's because it is the Richard's.....

After giving views remarkably similar to CT's pic on DBN*, it duly dropped into the weeds on the edge of the potatoes, very considerately close to a big ragweed - the only one in sight, even - and vanished. I did not get even a sniff of it again. Admittedly I didn't wait that long before going 'Sod it, I've seen you, you bastard' and starting back. I ran into another birder and pointed him in the right direction [see how considerate the Dix was to land by the only unmissable marker?] [Even if it was totally hidden], saw a gorgeous Wheatear, and then got rained on. Result.

Also on site were about 600 Linnet - which had split into 3 or 4 flocks and were quite a sight - and several dragonflies - I picked out Migrant and at least one Southern Hawker, plus what looked like a darter sp.  Red Admirals were steadily moving west, as were a few Swallows but little else. A Whimbrel, 3 Redshank and at least 3 Little Grebe were on view from the hide while the rain stopped....

Not content with that, I stopped off at Bowling Green and Exminster on the way back. Both were rather waterlogged, to say the least. The Garganey finally gave itself up, and came right down in front of the hide, too  :D  and 10 Greenshank dropped in and actually landed on the near side of the water! Wonderful views. Single Curlew Sand with the Dunlin, too. At Exminster, after getting past one section of flooded road to reach the bridge, I found that the flood was nearly to the RSPB car park turnoff, and was reportedly [via a deranged brave if soggy cyclist plus his happy dogs!] knee deep before Lion's Rest... The fields were water meadows, now Exminster Marshes really are! Not having a boat handy I scanned from the bridge - no waders in sight but plenty of ducks - Mallard, Teal, Wigeon. The Whooper Swan was near Mutes off to the north, as were a lot of Canadas [dear DEFRA, why can't you shoot them??], all enjoying water soaked grass.

If only the Dix had turned up about an hour earlier, it would have been a perfect afternoon...



[[*Funny that, you'd almost think it was the same bird at the same place doing the same thing... ;) ]]