Yesterday

In more detail and with less.. 'Arrgh I've been out in the sun all day..'


So, the basics being that this was my first chance to go after a Lovely Lifer, all nailed down and so on. I've got this week off work - as usual it being Midsummer - so it seemed like a plan. Yes, the tern was mobile, but I'd have all day and even if it swanned off fishin' for an hour or six, I'd get it in the end..

Ok, I hadn't counted on the weather, but these things you beast through.

The traffic was.. unfortunate. Most notably, a poor lorry full of scrap metal tried a bend too fast and went over.. I hope the driver was ok, but the hold-up wasn't fun. Lots of little things added up and.. Oh well.

As it happens, being there at first light would have only given me a 50/50 on it - it shot off so fast - and as for the not coming back; hey, what can you do?

Dips suck. They don't make the ticks feel better, though they do add a touch of vengeanceismineyoubugger - see the Great Revenge At The Warren, for example - when you get them in the end. Of course, the next Elegant Tern might be in 20 years...


Ok, not all bad, as Pagham Harbour has it's pluses; Little Terns! Commons and Sarnies! Med Gulls!

Watching a Little Tern fish in a channel maybe 30m from you is worth the trip.. Med Gulls, stonking s/pl adults, flying right over calling [gulls that sound nice...horror!].. All the fun of a tern colony.. ok with hordes of Block 'eads, but also resident [and advertised and protected] neighbours  :D

I took the odd picture, some even worked out;

Pagham Harbour

Tern Island is out there...

Time for a close-up;

The Elegant used to be 'right of the sign and left of the conservatory'

Enough landscape, here be a few locals;

Mediterranean Gull

Tern ID Class

Right then, time for action!

First, the hover.

Somewhere between Kestrel and Hummingbird

Fish spotted, tip over..

And roll into an inverted dive, like a tiny Gannet!

Did I mention how much Little Terns rock??

:D


Not giving up until far too late did have the odd benefit. One being missing most of the roads full of fools that had vexed my trip out [[Oi, no ranting]]

The second being neatly in time to take a minor detour to my pet spot for these wonderful things;

Nightjar!

This was shot from the hip..

I'd taken the camera out as I thought 'Hey, why not?' After all, as I wasn't using a flash, it wouldn't do any harm except eating memory with bits of black..
The birds were on good form; a cracking male had come for a look-see before I'd even shut the car door! In all, at least 6 churrers, multiple males in flight, with a couple of females seen, too. Brilliant!

The lack of wind equalled hordes of midgies, but that's what SSS is for :) [yup, malice of forethought, people ;) ].

Time for a quick bit of pretty scenery;

I like my spot

Right then, there is a little more postage to come about other things, but this'll do for mow.


Be Seeing You..