WOOHOOPOE!!!!!!

Well, after an, er, 'eventful' if not interesting week - which will be told [and be-moaned] in coming posts. [[Honest]] - I finally have some proper Joy to report, so in typical style I am skipping all the other stuff to get straight to it.

 

 

Once upon a time there were some allotments. I looked at them every day.

I looked at them again on Sunday.

They had something possibly even better than my Dad's strawberries [possibly]

This;

Upupa epops!!!

Only a Patch Hoopoe bird............

::Dead::

Ahem.

On my second day's hunting for it [after being reported vaguely in the area a week or two earlier...] and on second look of the day - with said Dad, by his old plot, no less :D - it appeared Shopkeeper style in a conifer and proceeded to pose.

Feeling coquette-ish?

Crest-tacular!

[I'm not apologising for that one]

Robin for scale

"What was that about my Mum?!?"

With actual view of tail pattern. [No focus, of course...]

Only my second ever Hoopoe, after one the whole family saw fly in front of the car on our way to Bantham, one Summer's day many years ago..... 

[I've dipped a lot of Hoopoes, though. Loads of them.]

Those tempted should be advised that while a) it's clearly settled in a fairly small area, b) all that area is private gardens or allotments, c) most of it you can't see a small Hoopoe-bird in, no matter where you are, so d) it will take patience and the favour of the Goddess of Birding. Also e) the allotment-holders are a nice bunch and are quite likely to invite you in if you're polite and f) if they do please stay on the paths!

:)

Best chances are in flight or perched up in a tree [it seems to like loitering in conifers and then can be visible from Quinta [and possibly Windsor] road.] Only the very fortunate are getting views on the ground [see Steph Murphy's twitter... ].

After getting smacked in the face then steelie-d in the fork by Double Days' Dipping, it made a nice change.

I will, of course,

Be Seeing You...