Three Up North

After a slight delay due to technical issues [when bits fall off, you need to get them put back... Ahem] I was able to go filthy twitchin' up North.

Sandymere at Northam Burrows is basically a big puddle between a car park and a shingle bank. Not exactly the sort of place you'd expect to find waders, what with all the dogs running around.

But this is perhaps what's so appealing to the White-rumped Sandpiper that's settled there. Being a yank, it's pretty bomb-proof and just flies over to the other side when someone gets too close. More regular waders wouldn't tolerate anything mammalian within 30m at absolute least. So the WRS has the place and all the food - and there clearly is a lot it's finding - to itself.

This also means you can, with very little patience, get very close views indeed.

A  far better state of affairs than my last and only other in Devon, my view of which was largely a white arse flying off never to be seen again!

Ah, if you could see my pics. But gaggle still suck, so. ::shrugs::

Go look at various sightings sites, or twitter feeds.

I allowed myself a celebratory fried egg sarnie* at the caff [nice but pricey], tried a quick seawatch [epic fail], then headed over to Fremington, to seek out the first Slav Grebe in the county this year [what is going on?!?]

I had to toddle upstream a way and troll out over the sands [with care, I've seen SLAS], but it was there and lovely. The Glossy Isbis was visible on my way out along the Pill, so I stopped and zapped it immediately, as while I didn't need it for the year [remember? I got very soggy and cold and also a Green-winged Teal], there are principles.

Rewinding, and during my trip up the A361 - after I got off the duke but before I got to the Temporal Distortions Of Dooooom - I was very creditably able to keep driving in a nice straight line when a Short-eared Owl went overhead!

 

I'd been considering trying for one in the various places in t'North you can sometimes find them, if time permitted, but this was quite convenient.

Not very convenient, as then I would have been able to crash stop and get a picture or two for Over There, but you takes what the Goddess of Birding gives in Her wisdom.

So, three in a day and I've broken 230.

Result.

Be Seeing You...

[[* Not just a yeartick, but actual unequivocal photos, too!]]