To Continue

Following on, Friday saw me head over to the Exe estuary in search of none other than a Lesser Crested Tern. This is a rare vagrant, famously one once at Dawlish Warren a mere 40 years ago, and more usually in the vicinity of Africa..

It was a wee bit nippy on the platform at Cockwood Crossing, and the birders present cheerfully told me 'It's over there at the Warren'. Only I couldn't see it. And they couldn't, either, as it had taken the chance to vanish...

Yeah.

So an hour and change pass, with me freezing various bits off - out from a Night shift, btw - and getting ever more vexed at Life, the Universe, and Everything.

People massed [where none were supposed to be?] at the Warren were looking at something, but assorted trawlers were moored in the way. I resolved to move, and had the scope in the bag, when the LCT - which clearly has quite a sense of humour - reterned with what looked like a Sandeel.

It then flew around a bit before plonking down again. This time in view. Result.

Short while later it took off again and flew about some more, clearly having some fun trying to fish in the fresh breeze [apparently not quite a named storm] and to our joy getting closer and closer and closer.

Indeed it came right past us [well, in scope terms, anyways] giving me the chance for some actual non-blob photos [ see OverHere ] before again settling [after catching another fish] on a closer bit of the estuary.

[There were other birds around, waders and waterfowl and so on, but you're not bothered by them, are you?]

Anyways, I was a happy bunny.

There's not much more to tell of the weekend, due to Important Things, though I did find a Treecreeper with a tit band up on The Hill [remember there?] that afternoon in slightly better conditions [sheltered from the wind, always helps], which was nice, though as I was being towed by taking Canis horribilis salivatus out for a walk at the time, no chance of a pic [I doubt I'd have succeeded, too much cover and against the light, but hey].

Be Seeing You...