And Now For All The Nattering

Before we get to Sunday's fun, there is the brief matter of what else I've been up to.


Which is pretty brief as the answer is 'not a lot'.

I did get to the Nose first thing on Friday, though, where the 1w male Yellowhammer was still in evidence, a lovely male Blackstart popped up in the Top Dell - with at least 3 male Blackcaps, too - finches and pipits were still moving [though in smaller numbers] and all the rest of the fun was out to sea.

A cracking GND was off the Toes - north of the Lead Stone - with at least one Razorbill and there was some [slightly surprising given the sunshine] passage; a few Gannets were to be expected, but also 14 Dunlin, 2 Purple Sands, and a Puffin!!



We then montage through all sorts of getting stuff done to Sunday, where after a late Swallow over the Teign Bridge, I picked up Bun and Karen and we battled the rain, floods, and [Expletive Deleted] Sunday Drivers to Fraggle Rock. After amusing them with my pathetic attempts at parking, we joined the small crowd waiting by Avalanche Road for the Dusky to deign to show. It had apparently been out before a large shower hit, but now there was not even a 'tchak!' of it.

The wait was enlivened by a couple of Chiffs showing the Dusky what it should be doing, and a couple of Robins trying to show each other what their internal organs looked like... The odd inbred unclefucker colourful local attempted to cheer us up whilst driving by, by either wildly sounding their horns or going for a conveniently large puddle, too. Ah, the joys of twitching.


After a mere two hours, the bird did indeed show, and show very well. After my token efforts [see last post if you dare], I gave up trying to take pictures and just enjoyed the bird. And those smashing jaffa orangey legs!

We shamelessly ticked [ok, or yearticked] and ran; pausing only for Karen to spot two Blackstarts, one on a roof, one on a gravestone. Fare thee well Fraggle Rock, on to Darkest Hampshire!




It was pretty bloody dark too, with the rain tipping down.. Blashford Lakes being WT, there were no helpful signs to aid birders who'd forgotten to take their carefully prepared directions with them, and we ended up circling the block, so to speak. Still, we didn't find any properly flooded roads in our way and got to the Lakes to find we could even sit down in the Tern Hide! [Needless to say, any thoughts of Fudge-hunting were right out!]


Once the rain stopped coming in the windows, we were treated to a vast panoply of LBBs, plus all manner of other waterbirds in a brilliant setting. Goldeneye, Goosander, and BN Grebe were the official star attractions, but with a plethora of other ducks and grebes about, there was lots to look at. This included an adult YLG, which dropped in and flew about a bit. I thought the bill was a bit wimpy, but the wing tips were good and apparently so was the leg colour, so I'll bow to the crowd and say it was one.


We were wondering if it was wise to stay put, though, with the Franklin's having apparently often come in further up Ibsley Water, where it might be out of sight from Tern. Hmm.. There was also the matter of the car park being locked in the not distant future, and not least the prospect of yomping over in the rain and maybe having to yomp back sharpish.


In the end we stayed put, and a good thing too, as the Gull dropped in right in front of us!

Well, off to the left a bit, but point blank compared to most of the roost. We duly admired this very smart-looking yank - I'm sure Karen will have much prettier pictures if she posts on WWaW - in very nice soft light, before getting out ahead of the rush and wending our merry way back.


So, two very nice birds seen, both with history for the seers [which makes it all the more satisfying to nail them!]. Ah, its so good to have a proper twitch again.. All that frelling dipping really had me down, but I feel some of the weight has lifted.




Only some though.

Bloody Bee-eaters...


And STEs.



And don't get me started on those fucking plovers....



Ahem.