Patch-tastic.

Yes it's a Patchilicious roundup of this, that, and even some of the other..



Yeah, so.. First up;

One of those

Western Conifer Seed Bug

things

Never mind gardens, this was in my bedroom [eeeek! ;) ]


On the feeders... Multiple Nuthatches have avoided getting hit, but this Blue Tit was less wary;

Nutpecker

I quite like these; not the usual angles you get from people with actual skill / better cameras.



Right then, Saturday was less good bird-wise, but Sunday saw me hitting the Nose with gusto.

Not quite as much gusto as the wind, let alone the sea, though..

Strange lack of fishing types...

You will be shocked to read that I found nowt more than a Chiff cowering in the undergrowth, but I was unfazed, as I'd cunningly lugged a scope along, and found a spot in The Mounds that was sheltered from the howling near-gale..

Anything out there?

Anything...?

What was out there? Gulls, Gannets, Guilles.. Not many either, though 148+ GBBs on the Ore Stone [all adults] wasn't bad. Then the Goddess of Birding smiled and.. 'Oooh, what's that?' 'Duck!'

Heading north at pace [when do they not?] and not a scoter but definitely dark.. An aythya.. Which one? Tufty, surely. No, wait, look at it.. Ah! It's a Scaup! A 1w, possibly male.

Get in. :)

Despite this wonderful occurrence [only second time on Patch], things did not suddenly perk up afterwards, though. In fact they dried up, so I toddled home and warmed up via baking*.



After a brief pause it was back out, this time heading Meadfoot way. Why so? Well, wind in the ENE meant that off Meadfoot was one of the very few bits of sheltered [or at least, slightly sheltered] sea that weren't harbours. The thought of seaducks had been kindled in my noggin and, well... worth a try, right?

I arrived to find a lot of sea.

From Meadfoot,

Thatcher Rock on the left, Berry Head off to the right

Also a few posers;

Not quite adult

Oyks

The swell was impressive, but I scanned away and.. Hah! Yes! Seaducks! A raft of 20+ scoter and what was clearly an Eider, plus 2 other ducks.. And all well out.
Dammit. I'd only got the li'l scope with me - not really expecting anything - and with the big waves mincing about, the birds were also only visible for maybe 2 to 3 seconds in 10..

Right. Decisive action required. I legged it home, grabbed the Big Scope and got back sharpish.


Still there.


25 Common Scoter, plus a female/1w Eider in close attendance, with 2 female Common Scoter off by themselves. Very nice.


Can you see them?

Hide and Seek

What do you mean 'No!'??

A gull is less wary

 To zoom out, they were;

Between Thatcher Rock and the Buoy Farm

So, conclusive proof that a 30x camera lens has not the reach of a 10x binocular, let alone a 75x scope**. Oh well.

Gannets were in the distance, BHGs closer in, with a few LBBs among the scattering of gulls loitering.


Not quite the grebe rafts of the Old Days, but still.. Much better than expected. :)



Be Seeing You..



[[*Gingernuts. Because using the oven warms a place like nothing else, and well, also just Because.]]
[[**Millions of flushed birds will agree with this...]]