We Interrupt Our Delayed Posting... Pt.1, Old School Twitching

I was at it again, seeking vengeance for birds lost on a Friday after a night shift....

This time it was proper old-fashioned twitching;

There was a report where someone said someone else said they'd seen something.

Said saying now two days old and no other news.

So it was that I headed Up North to DWT Meeth Quarry. I'd been there once before, with Folks and a LBD and due to the latter [and some rather over-attentive Horseflies...] not seen all of it. Turns out the missing bits are not bad at all. Well worth it for Summer insects and Winter wildfowl, oh yes.

But getting back to the narrative structure [at least in some vague sense]-

Sometimes, just sometimes, the bird behaves.

Whooper Swan

Close in? Yeah, kind of...

"Ok. I'm ready for

my close-up, dahlink"

That is indeed the near shore, there.

[I should add that sometimes the camera behaves, too....]

Ho-lee-thingumawotsits!!!!!!! 

I never ever thought I'd see a winter swan so close [outside of Slimbridge]. Yes, those were taken from the hide [Yup, there's a hide; it's small but far better than anything the rspb have put up in the last decade or so, though the latch needs a rubber wedge], 

but on my way back, these weren't,

Nice bit of ex-pit

'That white blob

on the right'

Then it swam towards me. 

 

 

I put the camera down and just basked in the Glory.

:D

Also about,

I think we've got a Ringer, guv...

Migrant Hawker

Common Darter

Very Common,

there were scores about!

Flush with success, I headed home the scenic way and stopped off to add a far more recently-reported bird, though nowhere near as helpful.

As it turned out, I was stood there for well over an hour, during which time the rain caught up with me and said "You really shouldn't be stood out here in the open by a railway line with no waterproof trollies on, heh heh heh...."

Once the rain got bored and cleared away, visibility improved and I finally got more than a brief flight view [which was during the rain, of course].

Now, getting a photo...

Well, have a look.

Mudbank, from Cockwood Crossing

Yes, the far shore.

 

 

This is what Big Scopes are for. Not so big cameras do their best;

Three species of geese.

No, really.

You're not getting anything better, just take my word that a Barnacle Goose [which arrived with Brents and so is as kosher as we'lll ever get] is over there, hiding with the Canadas.

One bird behaved, at least;

She's got it sorted.

I have various bad pics of various good birds - including 3 Sarnies flying by - but I'll not afflict you with them.

I'd dipped Whooper twice, once very horribly, so that was with utter satisfaction, I can tell you. The views at 75x weren't bad, either... :D

Looking in the log, the Whooper had been at Meeth since at least the 3rd. I cannot help but think of a certain swan that flew over the Mighty MK and headed roughly NW not so many days earlier. What's NW of Exmouth...? Yup, Meeth.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

{228}

Be Seeing You...