Back At Last

As you might have guessed, I was rather happy to be out birding away from the Patch [I love it, but, well, sooo many people...] and especially back up on t'Moor. Albeit after an extremely necessary detour from plans the day before to get a Devon tick and dip another Woodchat.

So, a weekend spent covering more miles than my entire full lockdown period [oh dear] and getting out every day [because they might change their minds and shut us up again] whilst trying my best to stay as far from anyone as possible [for mental as well as physical health]. Getting yearticks was the plan, with having fun and seeing funky stuff having pretty much as much weight [as seriously expecting anything from the yearlist went bye-byes when that dratted virus said Hello, obv.]

So, multiple sites on multiple dates, and yes I'm being a bit evasive in places due to breeding birds of an extra vulnerable nature. Sorry.



When seeing that lovely Woodie, there was more than just Red n Yellow on display, as we shall see.

Indeed things started well, as first bird in the book on getting out of the car at a rather cold and windy Site Somewhere In Devon was a very vocal Cuckoo. Seeing it proved less simple. It took going to another spot - Vitifer, of course - to finally get eyes and lens on one.


As well as assorted other warblers, vexingly evasive Redstarts, and so on, some other migratory birdies were there;

Pied Flycatcher!

Just having a quick wash n brush up.

Lovely.. :)

At least two pairs, with nesting material being gathered and everything :)

Hopefully they'll survive, though, as shortly before this, said Pied Fly narrowly evaded an unexpected flying predator attack! Unexpected, because said predator was this!

Stoat!!

A blur because it just did not stop moving - I'm amazed I hit it at all, tbh - it pretty much ignored me as it, after trying and failing from trees, then went searching through the mossy boulders;

Got lots of mouths to feed

Wooooo  :) It would pop up, or more accurately across bits seemingly at random, with much rustling of vegetation in between. A case of guess where it is, hope you know where it's going, aim... and shoot if anything moves!

Much easier to record;

Dung beetle sp. 
[The hidden jaws mean not a Dor Beetle, 
it might be a scarab sp.?]

Willow Warbler

"Laaa!"

Chaffinch

"Nom!"

Wood Warbler with caterpillar

Tree Pipit

Cuckoo

Whinchat

"Raaaaawr!"

Ever wondered why they are so hard to photo? Well, Tiger Beetles really do have eyes in the back of their heads!

Small Heath

Broad-bodied Chaser

Aaaaargh!!!

Tick, 2nd/3rd instar

Far too many of these around, thanks to the warm winter...  :(  This one attacked my water bottle, and I found three more on my rucksack [always check your bags etc. as well as you, folks!], though knock on wood ::thunk thunk:: none on me yet.


A better find;

Mesolithic microlith

Just sitting on a path, freshly worn out of the soil. Yes, 'horrible horrible flint', but you use what you get your hands on, I suppose. This has an almost identical shape to one I found on Shovel Down yeeeears ago, though it's a bit bigger [I suppose rubbish flint* is harder to work into fine shapes, or maybe they just needed a bigger blade]

Up on t' Moor

:)

Elsewhen, a rather speculative trip to Exminster proved surprisingly productive..

This place

5 Gadwall and a Coot

Never mind name the Wader..

Spot the Wader!

While I was looking at this little fellow, [Cue: pure spawny luck] a tringa sandpiper flew in; spangly brownish of back and finely barred of tail; a Wood Sand!! It landed behind that big lump of rushes there and did not reappear, though [cue: end of luck]

A couple of days earlier, Steph had seen one in the area, and a day or two later, Mr Knott would see one [ok, or a Lesserlegs!] not too far off. I suspect the One Bird Theory.

Look verrrry carefully, and you'll see

my first ever Hairy Hawker photo!

Merlin

Lynx by another name

Wildcat

"Ok, who pulled out the plug??"

Cuckooflower

That wonderful Woodie again

Not a bad weekend, and a great way to get back into the [carefully distanced] swing of things :)


Be Seeing You...



[[*I base this on the expert opinion of a flint knapper I once met, who knew an awful lot, told me most of the 'flint tools' I'd found were off- strikes, and was only really impressed by said microlith.]]