Spring Sun, Spring Birds

Posting out of order, but hey what's new? I'm typing this around prepping something tasty for tomorrow, so excuse any disjoints in the narrative.


Right, so Friday saw me heading off East in search of some very funky little birdies, oh yes indeed.

The Patch was swathed in mistyfog when I left, but as I travelled I eventually climbed out of it into what turned into very warm sunshine indeed!

I went in search of these things;

Dartford Warbler!

Spoiler alert; I saw them! :D

Ahem.

Not quite a Nightingale

Striking a pose

I used the diabolical tactic of picking a good spot on the track and waiting. Dartford came to me, showing both up and down sun, as you can see.

Why did I write that? Ask the chap with the leg-sized lens who went swanning off into the gorse... ::Sigh::

Anyways, I was here [yes, the one site you're allowed to mention]

RSPB Aylesbeare

I wasn't just standing about waiting, though. There's more to the place than the bit up the top.

Also Aylesbeare

Still Aylesbeare

Vast numbers of singing Chiffchaffs were everywhere, though no Willow Warblers yet.

Best I could do

Also slow enough to catch;

Stonechat

Peacocks pose better than Brimstones

On my way back, I hit a few spots about the Exe. Working backwards, Matford had no Green Sands, and the 'famous field' had 19 Little Egrets and 0 Cattle Egrets, so you still don't get a Cattle shot from this year. Sorry.

One..two..three...

Goosemoor was mud and a couple of Curlews [well past high tide] and off the platform, assorted waders and so forth were mostly waaaay off and up sun.

One of these ducks is not like the others

Looking the other way

To Bowling Green, where some birds showed well, and some were more bashful.

Shelduck

Shoveler

Kingfisher

Grey Heron

Little Ringed Plover

On the left [newest] scrapes. Hard to see from the hide; lots of dead ground.

Another LRP

On the right scrapes. Even harder to see [more dead ground!]

Left LRP

Better views from the lane.

Yes, the LRPs are rarer [certainly in a Devon context], but I think the Dartfords deserve the headlines. I mean look at them;

"Yeah, check out my wonderful tail!"

Sometimes they behave. :)

Now if only I can run down a Green Sand...!


Be Seeing You...