It's Back...

The Silly Hat Rides Again!


:D



The first outing of the year was Saturday, when after not getting much at all at the Nose, I wandered over to East Devon. There I met more than 40 warblers - as opposed to the Nose's paltry 6 - and though I really had to work for the Star Attractions, they did in the end show very nicely. Albeit too rapidly-moving to get a phonebinned shot...


But cutting back a bit;
Friday afternoon I gave the Patch a going-over and the sun did shine. I pounded pavements and a couple of Blackcaps were singing in usual places, the first butterflies of the year [for me] were out. This year is notable in that Butterfly No.1 is a Comma [usually Peacock, Red Admiral, or Brimstone] - a very confiding one basking by the newly-restored pond-thing at Warberry Copse. A skulker in sub-song on IMD might have been a Garden Warbler, but then again it might not - drat.

On to Saturday, where on the migrant front, a lone Wheatear and single Willow Warbler were it at the Nose, at least 165 Guilles were on the Ore Stone, and the Grey Seal was still hanging about [couldn't get a decent pic of it, but will keep trying].

As well as shedloads of Willows and Chiffs, the Commons had a few Blackcaps and my first Whitethroat of the year - it got seen off by a Star Bird! Said Stars were much less elusive in the afternoon, when it really sunned up and got properly warm. Speaking of - a huge jump in insect numbers, with bees and wasps and flies and hoverflies all over the shop as if by magic. No odonates yet, of course, but on the plus side no frickin' Horseflies, either :) A few hirundines trickled over, and there was an increasing passage of gulls heading for the estuaries. I was surprised to find a group of 3 Wheatears up there - they were very friendly [2m 1f] and at one point two shared a single post! Stifling my giggles, I tried a picture but alas it didn't come out as anything better than a funny-shaped blob.. rats. Stonking male Yellowhammers were a welcome sight upon the eyes, as was a showy Treeecreeeeper and the inevitable 'come right up to you' singing Willow Warbler. :)  It was a good day.

I stopped off at Ideford Common on the way back, but haze vexed any attempt to add to the 20+ soaring raptors I'd had earlier in the day - no Ospreys, though - and no passing migrants or vagrants popped by either [Hey, you get lucky once, you keep at it!]


Yesterday I awoke utterly drained, [I admit the bright sunny morning when there should have been fall-inducing fog didn't help], and only got going in the afternoon to join the Folks at Yarner.
This was a good call, with three male Pied Flycatchers - a couple very showy - about, Siskins singing, the Wood Ants active and the Mandarins feeling combative! A Redstart was less showy - unsurprisingly - but the light drizzly rain held off and we had a very pleasant wander. No Wood Warblers yet, but the residents did their best to make up the shortfall, though alas we didn't hear a singing Willow Warbler. They're a lot less common at Yarner in recent years and we didn't get to the edge of Trendlebeare, which is the best spot, so not entirely surprising. It would have been nice, though, as Mum hasn't heard one yet [or seen a Swallow!] this year.



Finally - gripped off by a work colleague on Thursday; he had a Red Kite low over the Penn Inn roundabout pre-work! Drat! Would have been a nice work tick...
On the Garden Front; the last sighting of the Blackcaps was Tuesday, but the Goldfinches continue to visit. House Sparrows next door still and nowt in the boxes yet.