The plague did not go away.
To be fair, I was coughing so much I'd have had trouble holding a scope steady for any length of time.
So, no seawatching bonanza for me on Friday, stuck inside looking forlornly out at the weather passing by...
Bugger.
Saturday and my cold was a lot better [but of course]. I had made plans [I'd started improving the previous evening, even more of course] to give the Nose a thorough seeing-to and then go Ouzel-hunting.
But, upon awakening into - yes, a slightly stronger wind than I'd have liked - the new day at a good early hour, I realised The Mouse Factor applied.
Yup, my head struck again.
This was a good one, and lasted right into the next day, only finally getting bored early Sunday afternoon.
I was prepared.
I'd been prepared for more than 30 hours.
I boiled the water, packed the very late lunch, and hit the road.
Blackening Waxcap
Shamelessly using a pretty fungus as the thumbnail.
I went to Vitifer, in search of the double-figures of Ring Ouzels reported in the area. And because I likes the place.
Looking towards Birch Tor
A lot of berrylicious Hawthorns around.
It was, as I worked down the valley, quite remarkably birdless. A few LTTs in the upper works, a few scattered small Mipit bands, usual overhead corvids, Buzzard onna bush... Thrushes? Not even a Blackbird.
Eventually I found one of the latter, and I got to the area SE of Birch Tor where more than 20 Ouzels had been reported the day before [and I believe 11 that morning?].
Spot the Ouzels
I wouldn't try too hard, you won't find any. [Ok, there might be one in there I missed at the time; I did have a female in flight, possibly with a male nearby, but nothing was showing.]
Well, that's a day full of mundanes for you.
I considered trying the next valley over [no, not Headland Warren, I'd come in that way and very thrush-less], but figured that being right below a busy pub, people would have been down there, too...
Ok, one option left. Keep going.
Sousson's had Crossbills, flying about in groups of up to 12, and a few got in the way of the camera.
Count the Crossbills
Flying!
I worked down until I was at the bottom of Challacombe Down, where I finally, finally, found where the black and white buggers were hiding; the fields of Sousson's Farm [no, not by the footpath, the more easterly bit you can't get at]. Four in flight, vanishing behind a hedge, then one into a tree, then finally, 7 heading off down the West Walkham in a very definite "We're off to roost, ha ha stupid monkey" kind of way.....
Nice view
Sousson's Farm on the right, West Walkham valley heading away centre left [Vitifer Brook joins it in low ground down there, WW comes down from Headland Warren Farm, valley mouth on left.
If you see the line of dark shelter belt trees, with a cottage in the middle, the Ouzels were flying right to left in front of them, lit wonderfully by the low sun, and 3 adult males were among them as I followed with my li'l scope. Previously, Ouzels had been active in the neat green hedged paddocks [Hawthorns in said hedges, rather berry-depleted now] closer and right of said tree belt.
I did get a picture of a couple of Red Deer, casually grazing in a field down valley
Like big brown sheep
Much closer to, I had some company;
Sheeeeeep!
This was very nearly the thumbnail, but then I looked at the title I'm using, and, well....
Ahem.
"Got any sammiches?"
Blackening Waxcap.
Larger, older one than up there
False Chanterelle
Milking Bonnet
Also of interest,
Look, up in the sky
Lovely coronal effect, there
I took a rather roundabout route on my way home, in the hope of something interesting, though the only records of note were a couple more Red Deer and heard-onlys of Golden Plover [several, but not a big flock] and Mallard!
While the Ring Ouzels could have been showier, it was good to be out, and any Ouzels are better than no Ouzels :D
Here's hoping to a little more time next weekend, but at least [like it said up there] I made the most of what I had.
Be Seeing You...
No comments:
Post a Comment