The Lockdown Curse struck with extra venom this weekend, with another amazing bird and this one in twitching range and not suppressed by think-they-know-betters or anything...
One of those birds which instantly show birder from mundane; merely saying 'Sociable' will show the former with a quite impressive display, oh yes..
Especially those of us who've never seen one and were wondering sceptically if they ever would.
To say Wednesday looks like a masssssive twitch seems an understatement.
I still have this job thing.
So, to take my mind off it and being as I'm now fairly sure my shoulder isn't going to suddenly go "Ah ha! Gotcha!!" on me.. [[knock on wood]] I went out for my first proper Dartmoor walk in a very long time [Dartmoor is local enough for The Law]. I found some wintering plovers of my very own, but that's to come later. And they really weren't in any way Sociable - at least to me - so not much consolation.
Anyways, I put in a 10 miler; the Ryder's - Heap of Sinners - Puper's - Holne Lee loop. It was utterly glorious up there; the Moor an island of blazing sun in a sea of mistyfog, with light breeze and not that soggy underfoot, considering. This was in drastic contrast to the 'cold wind and low cloud / drizzle / mist' that the brayne forecast the day before. Typical. Being prepared, I'd gone equipped for late November with an option on January. Should have added an 'August' element, too!
[Not a bad problem to have, though.. :D ]
Behold;
On Holne Moor
The View From The Heap Of Sinners;
The Sub, Avon Res.,
and the South Hams vanished under a sea of fog!
Looking over the Dart from Puper's
As well as the more usual spp., a scattering of winter thrushes [maybe 50 or 60 in all] were still to be found in various valley sites; more than I'd expect considering how stripped most of the berries are!
Fieldfares
Redwing
Ring Ouzel!
[1cy male]
That one was, I admit, just a bird shape in a Holly; I shot it on the off chance - it duly scarpered after that one frame - and looking at the boc, I was quite surprised to see the silvery wings and scaly back, there! You can just see the [rather shaded] paler crescent on the breast.
Golden Plovers!
Several small groups on the high tops, at least 14, probably a few more! Up there they invariably see you first, so only lightning reflexes get a chance of a photo. And you'll merely record their rear ends vanishing.. Oh well.
[Better views possible when they're on a valley side, where you can get line of sight without walking into them...]
Now for the inevitable...
Meadow Waxcap
[really nice one!]
Blackening Waxcap
[ditto!]
Fairy Inkcap?
Dung Roundhead
Again, the expected fungal spp. with lots of waxcaps and assorted dungi [ho ho]. Here's something colourful;
Moss, Ryder's Hill
It may not have been the high of a bird like a Sociable [oh stop it], but it was a good day and wonderful to be up there, if a bit warm [!]
Coming up..
A bit more from the Patch.
[[Anything else? I dare not even hope.]]
Be Seeing You...
No comments:
Post a Comment