Out In The Sunshine.

Having finally gained Vengeance on the diabolical eeeevil that is the Kentish Plover [Ivan, you are still a Star], I have been of the opinion that I'll twitch a yellow House Finch with three different plastic rings before I go for another one.


Until it's Yearlisting time...

Then, I have no choice, so I get there as soon as Life will let me.

Travails and woe beset me at every turn, but Mr Eagle told me it was still there, so with tide falllling I hoofed it the long long long way round to the hide at Dawlish Warren...

What came next? Peekaboo, KP style.

What do you mean, you can't see it??

Easier with more water, of course.. :)
[I should point out that this was taken on my way back.!]

Those dreaded words mobile and elusive certainly sprang to mind, with dead ground another very appropriate term. Still, I wasn't going anywhere - nothing like proper social distancing with not a bod within hundreds of metres :) - and for once a couple of wandering humans proved helpful, clearing the two biggest 'if she's there I'm stuffed' areas. Kentish Plovers have an irritating habit of running not flying, so I wasn't surprised to not get anything flushed, and had to wait until said running brought said plover into my view.

Not close, of course, oh no..

Tan and white blob

Kentish Plover

[plus Curlew]

Yup, classic photo.

While I was waiting, I finally caught up with Whimbrel for the year, and also got another yeartick, which I was quick enough to catch on photons!

Swallow!

Also of note - or at least, photo - were;

Spot the Skylark

::Takes deep breath::

Curlew at reasonable range

Brents

Getting back to getting back...

Seif dunes in the Saharan erg

or ripples in the Warren sand?

Lee slopes catching the sun, wind from bottom right.

I don't think that's a camel..

Sea side

The new 'defences'

The day before, we found an entirely safe and reasonable way to have a Traditional-ish Mama's Day Nicpic.
This involved finding a nice spot - my favourite lunch spot on the fritillary slope, as it happens - and sitting on seperate things [to whit, a foldy stool, a foldy chair, and a fancy nicpic blanket]. Social seperation achieved [the blazing sun and fresh breeze didn't hurt either] we had coffee out of seperate mugs and cake on seperate plates at double arms' distance. Despite this malarky, it was lovely.
It would have been even better if my fecking camera had decided to focus on what came soaring up and almost over us, but hey, what can you do?

At least one raptor posed.

Scenery

Honey cake

[A nice broad-bladed knife like that santoku there and a firm cake means you can serve 'safely'. Yes, we think of everything]


I type in the dark sunshine of the Long Quarantine and these two days now seem distant and golden, as like halcyon days of yesteryear..


Bugger this, where did I leave the grog??


Be Seeing You...