Patchy Post About The Patch

Hmm, that title needs work.


Right then, assorted reportage from the Patch to come, with various pictures, mostly of reasonable quality.

So...

I've been doing a lot of stomping about in the wind, looking for poor little birdies cowering out of it. Success has not been spectacular, as you will note by the lack of any wonderful rarities [still dreaming], or indeed wonderful anythings. I've also been looking at the sea on and off, with an actual whole hour of near proper seawatching on Saturday morning. [Gasp] Due to a nasty mix of apathy and stubbornness, I've not been off Patch at all since, er, the last time you read about down there.

Anyways, We'll start with the important stuff; Seawatch!

Saturday first thing I was over to the Nose, on foot and lugging a scope, even. Only the Li'l scope, as I had plans and there are limits to how much can be dragged carried. Also, the usual expectation that there'd be very little going on.

Sunshine on the right,

big boss squall on the left

Interesting weather, with my decision to just hunker down at the Mounds [I didn't have full kit with me, after all] nearly proving unfortunate, as that squall up there hit like a train [it came from behind me] with a 90° kick in the wind and sideways hail to boot..  Without the sixth sense to weather that seawatchers develop quickly or get pneumonia - and a fast draw on my old brolly - it would have been ugly. As it was I was almost blown over... Ho hum.

In the edge of that thing, though, was a gloriously spooned light morph Pom, which my camera did at least try to hit, but it was flying low and I got the swell, more swell, and one dark blob. Rats.
Also passing south, a nice GND, and from timed counts, rough hourly rates of Kittiwake [500], Gannets [200] and auks - 90%+ Razorbill - [300]
What looked like a Bonxie was out in the gunk at the edge of another shower, but that was it.

Two more GNDs were on the sea, one in the lee of the Ore Stone, and one in Hope Cove;

"Crabs are yummy"

s/pl adult

[few white feathers by gape]

Time for some arty gulls;

BHG

All atmospheric

I then lugged the scope about the Patch, looking for other sheltering seabirds, but found none. [All down at Broadsands!]

Dropping by the Nose on Monday, I found two GNDs, of which again one was photo-willing, and not the one there two days earlier;

"No, no, I moulted 

reallly quickly!"

Great Northern Diver

I am obliged to provide at least one awful shot of horrid gulls [as opposed to arty shots of obvious gulls], so here are three sat on the Lead Stone;

Less said the better

 
Speaking of horrors at the Nose, I noted with dismay if not surprise, the TCCT's latest attempt at environmental sabotage;

Wait.. mowing?!?

What's up, you ask?
1. Waiting for the invasive Bracken to die back before acting, instead of bashing it.
2. More importantly, leaving the cuttings!
If you want a proper wildflower meadow [and I assume that's the excuse for destroying all those Whitethroat nest sites], you have to take the cuttings away - low nutrients being the idea, especially on limestone. Ideally, of course, you graze it. You know, like they used to at the Nose...

This is not just an issue there, though. Same thing's been done all over Stoodley playing fields, despite all the signs about how they're going to restore it for flowers, insects, bats.


Getting on with it,

Monday I also checked the Blackball roost - as you may remember from my last post - with lots of ordinary gulls and nothing sexy at all. At least that I could see.

Time to turn the gaze inland. Firstly, a shot I really should have posted earlier, but a nice reflection of their continued presence;

Conifer Seed Bug.

Look at that proboscis...

Yikes!

They're still popping up in November. Hmm.

Plume sp.

[I now have a moff book, 

but apparently Plumes are micros..?!?]

Burnet Saxifage,

still in flower

Tessier in the pink

And in the red.

Spot the Acer

It's a fungal time of year, so behold;

Yellowleg Bonnet

Armillaria ostoyae?

Jelly Rot

Turkeytail

Let's have some birds!

Woodpig flock density

Hiding from the rain

Lots of the big fat ones about, with flocks mostly in the 'few score' to 'hundred plus' range.

"Hold on a sec', got to get ready"

Striking a pose

Gotta love a Blue Tit. One of a band of nine - all Blue.

Ok, I think that's everything.



Wait a minute.. I'm up to date! Aaargh, what's going on?!?!?


Be Seeing You...