Mice And Birders

The weekend didn't exactly go to plan, due to a variety of reasons I'm not going to pain your eyes with.

Suffice to say, the only proper birding I got to was on Saturday, when I spent a lot of foot-miles looking for yearticks - most notably the White Pimpernel* - around the Exeter area.

Pintail.

[Sums the day up quite well, this]

While I did succeed in finding a Green Sand, in exactly the same spot - and quite possibly exactly the same bird - as in December, I got nothing else new for the year.

Not to say I didn't see the odd nice bird. A Kingfisher in the Ludwell valley was lovely - if not feeling photogenic - and no less than 3 Spoonbills were on Exminster in the afternoon.

Cue Meatloaf.

At least they're moving, even if they wouldn't let me get them all in one shot.

I was in no ways alone in my quest, with the Usual Suspects also after the WP*, and vast numbers of brightly-coloured fun runners pounding around the area. Joy joy. 

Anyways, they were all over the Matford-Canal area, but it was a weekend not tipping with rain, so disturbance inevitable, I suppose.

I did have a good nose about the lower part of LVP, which - apart from the horrific levels of plastic in the stream... - is surprisingly lovely for where it is. You can see why you get some of the birds that are reported there. 

 

RVP was its usual frustrating self. So little effort would be needed to make it far more user-friendly for people who want more than a dog exercising area. But then, Exminster...  

It was nice to be down at the Sludge Beds again. I'm overly fond of the place, perhaps, but I find if you can tune out the traffic noise and are upwind of the Works...

Yes, a quite a reach.

 

Just tune the M5 out...

 

Said Works had a nice posse of Wigeon resting on the big square bit and assorted BHGs on the settling beds. No Chiffs I could find, though.

Did find this;

Cowslip

Let's end with something from Matford,

Shoveler

Be Seeing You...

[[* He seeks it here (Exminster), 

he seeks it there (Matford), 

the Backward Birder seeks it everywhere. 

Is it in that channel, 

or behind those reeds over there?

That  BLEEPed elusive... Great White Egret.

Ahem. ]]