Mobile Flocks

Were the most notable things today, with three all giving a nice audio accompaniment as a bonus. As to the three species responsible... Well, you'll have to wait and see.



The weather really is being annoying, isn't it? As I type a lovely front is bearing down upon us, but it being the middle of the frickin' night and me not having night vision optics [now THERE's an idea...] I am bereft for the second day running. We are not amused. To add insult to - well inconvenience I suppose, really - coming in after it are some lovely-looking fronts. They are set to arrive in daylight, too. During the week.

Well, I suppose I don't have to sleep?


Oh, great big furry rats.



I very nearly went anyway on Friday, but found after a gruelling week of grit and graft that I couldn't summon the energy. I did eventually get out and gave the Harbour gulls and Blackball grebes a going-over. I even managed to get quite soggy, as the rain suddenly arrived on me. What I didn't get was anything better than the top of a [presumably the same] Grey Seal's head vanishing under the waves. 7 GC Grebes, plus a Razorbill, at least 1400 large gulls [and still rising as they vanished under the murk] and 94 Kittiwakes were off Blackball. I really don't know where all the grebes are - there's been enough cold weather up country by now, surely?

The Harbour had 124+ Herring, 3 GBB, a Moorhen, a male Pied Wagtail, and a couple of Crows. One of the Herrings was quite interesting [yes, it's gull time - run while you can!]; it was a big rangy thing, 1w, with an all-dark tail [and I mean all-dark, right up the sides] and well barred tail coverts. Quite long-winged, too, but otherwise entirely Herring... Never ceases to amaze.


Today I overslept horribly and then ran around doing stuff that needed doing. Fortunately, some of that stuff was out Newton way, so I decided to drop into Stover for a late lunch [hopefully] cooing over the Goosander reported there. Before I even got to the lake I got lucky, with a big party of Crossbills flying over; I couldn't get a count on them, but by the amount of calls - the full-on sleigh bells experience! :) - I'd have to say there were at least 20. Siskin were also about in numbers, but no Redpoll that I could find. On the lake a lone female Goosander floated about with a couple of GC Grebes, 5 Cormorants, 4 Tufties, 2 Pochard, and about 70 BHGs. Scanning the swampy fringe revealed at least 13 Snipe, with one coming out and sitting in full view - a very considerate bird, there.

A cornish birder dropped in to the hide and we chatted for a bit, during which he mentioned having just seen the Waxwings by the A38.. Well, it would be rude not to go see them, wouldn't it? :) The easiest way to get to them would be to park along the Teigngrace road - still possible as there are a few layby spaces which haven't been churned into a quagmire by 4x4s - and walk alongside the dual carriageway towards Exeter. They were going to the berry bushes in the central reservation beyond the railway bridge from trees on the near side, but I'd not head there too late in the day as they flew off towards Heathfield [presumably to roost] just after ten to four.


Fortunately, this was just after I'd arrived. Unfortunately, it was 5 minutes too early for the family group that I met as I headed back... :(

Finally, at the caravan park on the junction, I was pleasantly surprised to find a large group of Goldfinches - a pre-roost gathering, most likely - which occupied the tops of 4 large trees and numbered at least 198 birds. I think that's the biggest flock of Goldfinches I've ever met - they certainly sounded impressive, with an almost Starling-like chattering.