Left Then.

Continuing my updates, we now get to the fun times, as with a "Forth Éorlingas!", Storm Éowyn rode over the nation.

[You knew it was coming]

I got out of work and hit the Nose.

Admittedly, the timing wasn't ideal, but it was blowing nicely and so...

I gave up after an hour.

That hour did have 1300 auks [mostly Razorbills, as you'd expect in winter], 202 of both Gannets and Kittiwakes, 5 Fulmars, 1 LBB, 2 GND, 1 BTD, 1 diver sp.... 2 more GND and a GCG were on the sea ~80 BHG and 15 Common Gull were attending what was more flotsam than slick. Passage had pretty much died off by nine, really, though.

MP the Irregular arrived and we wandered over to Hope Cove, where 5 GND were on the sea... And oh, what's this? Another BTD! Which showed quite well, though never as well as the moment I noticed it right on top of us - of course it wouldn't behave, we had cameras - and in addition an adult Med Gull popped up on what was more of a slick.

Then, as I was going, I picked up a 1w RTD from IMD

[[Oh, so many initials.!]]

The next day was markedly calmer. I made plans, which were foiled due to my talent for turning my alarm off in my sleep [I use two for work, but refuse to when I'm off]

Still, I was going out.

I had vengeance in mind

Exminster was, well, still Exminster. The road was flooded, but I decided to see if my car - untested deeper than tyre depth - could do it. Yup, no worries. 

Now for some birds? There was no sign of the GWT, of course, but I worked my way down to Turf thoroughly, and prepared to check over the Exe for the inevitable no sign of the Long-billed Dow- oh, there it is.

Right on top of me. RIGHT THERE at Turf Lock, on the little triangle of mud between the mouth of the canal and the stream that drains Exminster Marsh; as close as a wader can get.

The Sun then came out, low as it was late in the day, and the views at 75x were breathtaking.

I even got the odd photo.

Still no GWT on the way back.

I stopped off - for the third time - at That Woodcock Place.     Time passed.

Woodcock!

A second, and low!

Third!

Get in.

And then we have Storm Freddie.

Yes, Freddie. F comes after E and before H. As does G, btw.

So the Spanish can learn the alphabet.

Storm Freddie, despite far far less fanfare from the media, was much friskier than Éowyn. The seas at the Nose were quite impressive [though I've seen better, and The Boss has seen the best; ask him about it]. 

 

The birds?

There were birds. There was also more seawatching. And rain. Oh yes, the rain. There was some of that, too.

The Teacher arrived just before me, but chose perhaps not the best position with a SE and serious seas. He gave it a while, then a while longer at Glonk Corner with me, before deciding Hope Cove might be interesting.

 

I gave it six hours, as patience and persistence and so on...

Auks 1158, Gannets 238, Kittiwakes 355, Fulmar 64, LBB 13, BHG 6, C Scoter 1, GND 2, Purple Sand 12, Turnstone 1.

3 GND and 1 RTD were on the sea offshore, 1 GND and the BTD were in Hope Cove, and 9 GND were towards Longquarry Point.

So only Fulmars and sea'd GNDs doing better than the Friday, really. 

 

I confess I did have hopes for something like Leach's Petrel, Grey Phal, or Little Auk, but that's birding.

Next time, we have my little winter break from work to go winter birding around and about and actually get out of the county maybe?

 

 

 

 

Be Seeing You...