Out For A Walk

In these Interesting Times we live in, birding has been concentrated into;

a) Out the window / from the garden at home - plus what you can lure in with feeders - both day and night [audiomiggging has increased I must guess by a couple of orders of magnitude..!]

b) To and from work, if you're[un]lucky enough to still be doing that

c) During your mandated daily local exercise period. [On foot / bicycle].


Being someone who as always considered his Local Patch to be exactly what he can cover on foot from home, this is less of a pain than to some. [Though I'd love to be able to consider certain estuaries local...]. [[Having said that, losing t'Moor, in particular, is a painful blow. I needs my solitude.]]


Anyways, with the shift in the wind, I figured it might be worth giving said Patch some serious bashing last weekend*. This turned out to be a Good Idea...

Willow Warbler!

Heh heh heh heh heh...  :D

Snap!

Possibly the best photo

I've ever taken.

With a fancier camera, that'd be Devon Birds cover material, there..

Not bad, either

This wonderfully confiding little bird wasn't the only one about, either.

This is a different bird

I think this one is, too*

Willow Warbler shows, at range, a longer more elongated shape than Chiffchaff, with a far more two-toned colour scheme. The face is better-marked, with the clear dark-framed pale cheek standing out and more distinct eyestripe and supercilium. The wings are longer, showing far more 'sticking out the back' than Chiffs. Legs are paler, being shades of brown - though some overlap - rather than often black. Then there's the calls, of course. If they're calling!

[*There were three in close proximity, plus a Chiffchaff. Not one call either, too busy stuffing their little faces!]

This one definitely is!

In the Top Dell early morning, there. With at least three more - filtering through inland and feeding with the determined manner of the freshly-arrived - and joy a Sedge Warbler! Which gave a lovely long set of that sneaky subsong they do but was also far too mobile for immortality.

Chiffchaff

Not the greatest shot, but you sort-of see the short primary projection.

Now I've got that out of my system, behold a few other things I've photo'd over said weekend.

Starting with very different migrants;

Lesser Black-backed Gull

[female?]

And another, presumed male

[look at that bill and head shape!]

So cute

One of eight.

"Beep! Beep!"

One of eleven.

This one had surprised a Limpet 

on the D-Day ramps and was

gleefully tucking in!

"Try it, monkey"

Don't mess with the Mallards...

I think this chap had had a near-miss with something, possibly he'd beaten whatever it was up, as he was certainly unfazed by me walking right past him!

Three's definitely a crowd 

for these Bloody-nosed Beetles..!

This is the Coast Path

Yup, assorted sceneries..

The Bay

More of The Bay

That slope down there on the left always makes me think of sexy Mediterranean vagrants. Maybe one day.

[In an alternate reality...]

One of my favourite bits

:)

Napoleonic fortification

re-purposed during WWII

Love Meadfoot at dusk

More assorted stuff, possibly nearly as pretty as those warblers, to come.


Be Seeing You...


[[*Apologies for the delay.. ]]