Boom! Bang! Ow....

BING-BONG
"Backward Birding would like to apologise for the delays to our services 'Halloween Post Of Horrors' and 'Mo'vember Mo' Posting', and wishes to announce they have been combined into this right mess. The cause was an unfortunate technical issue. And leaves on the line."



Yeah, so....

I've been utterly knackered this week. I blame naughty little birds who show up when I can't get at them, personally. But anyways, onwards and downwards!


Back to last Friday, when 2 Fieldfare flew over at work. [Wow, huge numbers..]



On then to Saturday, where I did make no small effort and had a very up and down sort of day, as shall be told;

So, started at the Nose. Light easterly and sunshine! There were birds and everything too. This was a bit of a surprise as I'd figured all the good stuff [like sodding Pallas' Warblers...] would have been through earlier in the week. And it is true that no yearticks did I find, but a friskin' Sibe Chiff is never to be understated. :D It even popped up right in front of me, opened its little black bill and called the call. Now that's a nice considerate bird for you. Also of note a very brief Ring Ouzel - exiting stage left at speed while chacking rude things about my parents - and not one but two of those wonderful eastern Goldcrests! They really are incredibly grey-headed [and almost white foreheaded, too].

Things then got in the neighbourhood of even better, as a YBW promptly popped up [following a big band of LTTs]. A very dull-looking one, even. It steadfastly refused to call and wouldn't even give me a decent look at it before legging it off around towards Thatcher [as all the tit bands and associates were moving]. A might-have-could-have-maybe-possibly one, that.

Mipits were moving overhead and there had been a small fall of Chiffs.


Not bad for a 'quick stop off on the way'.



Because next up was Teigngrace and a chance to succeed where once before I had dipped by the breadth of a byre. [Literally - the bastard was hiding behind it!]

Very nearly a dip again, with 7 Little but no Cattle among the horde of Block'eads. Eventually, though, with the aid of [Paignton Birder], the two yellow-nosed gits were discovered hiding up a tree, visible only from 3/4 along the causeway 'walk on here and die' road...

Yup, both turned away at the same time...

Having realised they'd been seen, they then flew off towards Teigngrace in a huff.


I pressed onwards and upwards, as I had business on't Moor.



Yep, that time of year again meant more fun playing with the thrushes. Up around Holne, the Mardle and Venford I wandered, and it was... Well, I lost.

To make excuses be fair, I had the deck stacked against me very thoroughly. There were the farmers moving stock. There were the loud families. There was the bfb who wandered up from the deer park, and stood shouting for several minutes for some reason, then took his shirt off [[aarrrggh, pass the brain bleach..]]. There was The Hunt, who were out riding around in circles exercising their lovely quiet hounds. There was the slight lack of thrushes [wonder why], with mostly flyovers..

Anyway, I only found one party of Fieldfares on the deck, and as I was circling to make an approach, The Hunt came pounding down the valley [I felt them before I even heard the hounds].. Drat.


Not that there weren't compensations.

Chief being the brilliant Fwap! sound a female Merlin's wings made as she came screaming past 5' from my right shoulder!! I was just packing up after lunch and the Fwap! was her announcement as she came by from behind me and went zipping onwards at bracken height. W.O.W.

Also really good was the Jack Snipe flushed by the hounds from near the Sandy Way [they have their uses], and the poor Kestrel which met the wrong Crow and was mercilessly mobbed far beyond all necessity..



Sunday was a Day on't Moor with the Folks, but after Saturday I couldn't not have another go at the Nose in case there was any sign of that little stripy git. Needless to say there wasn't, with a clearout having happened [or maybe I was just there at the wrong time], despite all the lovely mistyfog. The 2 eastern Goldcrests were still there, favouring the Sweet Chestnut and environs. Overhead, large numbers of Goldfinch and Woodpig, with one flock of 28 Jackdaw [lots for the Nose]. Offshore, a Little Egret [checked carefully] was picking about on the Lead Stone.


With the fog and general dampness it was agreed we head to Fernworthy. Where we arrived to brilliant sunshine!!

Spot the Reservoir

It was toasty warm and indeed verging on balmy - more like early September... There were even butterflies on the wing - a Peacock [v fresh] and a Red Admiral - plus assorted lbj day moths.


Things changed when it was mooted we head out onto t' Moor to look at the new circle [and the views therefrom]. I kid ye not, no sooner had we spoken than clouds started to appear. Then the mistyfog descended and visibility went bye-byes..

Pressing on in the hope that it would pass, we headed out and around, only to find out the low cloud seemed set to stay. Muttering about pesky weather, we decided it wasn't worth dragging the LBD past the ponies [they were waiting, naturally] to see very little. So we turned back into the plantation and headed down to the res. The mistyfog followed us, eventually surrounding the lake, then pouncing with a chilly and rather smug breeze..


It was still very pretty, though;

'Affix burble about the Circle of Life here'

It was also periodically birdy, with actual Crossbills! They were naughty when the sun shone, but in the misssst, they eventually showed a lovely big flock, with sleighbell sound effects and everything.

Also of interest, a tit band by the hide contained a Treeeecreeeeper and a Marsh Tit! I think that's the first one I've seen there [maybe]. Mixed blessings, though, what with their habits.


Out on the water, there were plenty of gulls cycling through; high counts of 170 LBB, 25 Herring, and 12 BHG. Also 4 Wigeon, 5 Tufty, 3 Teal, and a Moorhen, plus 2 Cormorant.



So, a pretty good day. [Again, far too long since I've been out with the Folks].




Annnd finally, to continue even further..  Monday saw 38 Redwing over at work, accompanied by 2 Fieldfare, 9 Starlings, and 7 Woodpig [looked like they'd been flushed from a field].



TTFN