Right Then.

Sunday.

 

[[That's last Sunday, not this Sunday.  I mean, come on, what blog is this? You're not expecting punctuality or anything now, are you???]]

 

 

 

So, yes, last Sunday; after spending an hour watching the birdies, I got myself out and after stuff.

Yarner was both cloudier and windier than I hoped, and it took a fair lot of stomping about to find anything much. I then took a moment or six to employ the Big Scope I'd dragged along to scan the environs while I had a cuppa, before heading West[ish], with Revenge on my mind.

 

 

 

Oh yes, here we go again.

A nice tree at Yarner

Enjoy this.

[I hope you're not expecting any good bird pics, as eeech, you ain't getting' none.]

I do have some nice pics, though. [Just not of birds] [[Ah, what's new?]]

So, another go at that duck.

I remember when the famous RCP was easy. Sitting on Saltram duckie pond, usually. But even when up at Portworthy Dam, she wasn't exactly elusive. RCPs being big things, too, and hard to hide. Or so you'd think.

 

 

Not this year.

Lots of looking about said water body and, well,

Sleeping something

I honestly don't know what that is, but there's a male Teal behind it, so it's quite big.

I eventually found the Red-crested Pochard on the north pools. Just. There are two, one by the road, viewable if you are careful about the traffic, and one over the way, viewable with great difficulty. [Or very easily if you feel like trespassing on the Mine's property, which I didn't.] She was of course on the eastern pool, tucked right in to the southern end and only visible legally from one point. Also 12 Canada, 1 L Grebe, and 9 Tufty on that pool.

I was focussing through a line of Willows, and camera? Hah!

I stomped off in a 'Gotcha. It's done. I'm done with you.' kinda way. It was far later in the day than I'd hoped, and I reluctantly scrubbed my intended third stop due to time. But Crownhill Down was just up there. I could use a good walk for more than one reason. There might be a sexy gull up there? [There sure weren't ANY on Portworthy...]

 

Off we go!

Coobeasties.

[There are some winter thrushes,

you can't see them]

Did I mention the weather? Sideways mizzle. Bugger.

 

First glimpse..?

 

But... Gulls!

The view.

[Again, no trespassing here!]

Gulls!

Zoom applied

High counts [there was a slow but constant turnover ongoing];

116 Herring, 57 Common, 22 LBB, 11 GBB, with a 2cy YLG

Also at least 15 alba Wagtails around the shoreline.

Closer to, and much easier to get the camera to focus on;

Velvet Shank

Orange Mosscap

Yellow Brain

Turkeytail

The day after, I hit Broadsands.

The divers are out there.

Yes, beyond the Mussel beds...

Lots of Razorbills and Guillemots scattered across the Bay in ones and twos, but divers?

Up there you have three in a row, all BTD! [Yes, really]

 

Totals; 3 BTD, 2 RTD, and 9+ GND

Not bad. Though not one grebe or duck could I find. It was a bit choppy and afternoony [work limitations, you know], but you would have thought at least a GCG or two..?

The marsh was very quiet bar a lone [though vocal] Blackcap - I suspect the warmer weather has a lot to do with that - and the only other bird of note was yet another croaking flyover Grey Heron [seems like every visit, these days].

Med Gulls were better behaved;

Count 'em

And

Pretty sure these two are different from the four up there.?

The final results of all this madness is 141.

And I still haven't seen a Ringed Plover this year.....!?!

Or that Ruff, or those geese.

Hmmm. Must do better.

Be Seeing You...