After The Cheshire Cat Disappeared, I Went Birding

Spent a lot of time wandering around various bits of Topsham and environs looking for a certain male Garganey.


Didn't find it.



I did find the reported Ruff, which was good, then also the lovely LRP [after I had given up on thcwewy duckth and headed over to the Otter], which was better, as it sat and posed ran around with just short enough stops to photo, see?

LRP strikes a pose; 

nice eyering, almost came out

The sun was shining, as you can perhaps tell...

I tried moving a bit;

"You've had your side-on pose. You're not getting another"

Still not great, but what can you do? [[Buy a proper camera?]]



The two Spotshank [one which came close now sporting some nice new coverts] were quite showy on the Clyst - all three shanks together at one point - and three lingering Snipe [2 at BGM, one on the Otter] were picked out by the sunlight. Also of note was a very fancy Water Pipit - on the scrapes, not above the bridge - but it was the epitome of mobile and elusive, the little sod.



Today I've been doing some of the non-birdy things that I'd put off due to work and chasing Wheatears.
Yup, lovely sunny day and here I am hunched over the computermabob - blogging as my reward for putting up with all the other stuff. Oh happy happy joy joy. I might get out to the shops in a minute, even.

Nothing spectacular has been seen out of the windows, and the most notable thing heard has been the Greenfinches singing [which they started earlier this week at said Nose]. The local Herrings have been cruising around [some collecting nesting materials] and have entirely failed to go off at anything. So I guess that bladdy Red Kite's cleared well off, and no Ospreys have passed by [I'm still remembering last year, oh yes]. Hmm, that 'guess' ought to read 'hope', he says, remembering a certain Marsh Harrier...



There's always tomorrow, right?



22nd of April, btw.