Out For A Jolly. 1; Lots Of Scenery

Note: Increasingly-delayed due to a variety of factors, usual apologies etc. etc.



So I went for an amble up on t'Moor.


The weather was in one of those moods - you know the kind which illustrates why you always take the kit with you - and so it got interesting.

I saw very few birds, but hey, it isn't all about birds. Though a grouse or three wouldn't have gone amiss and I did quite deliberately head to places good for them. Oh well, what can you do and so on, eh?


There were nice climbs, watercourses to ford [and the odd bridge, too], and bogs to hop, so it was a proper 10 miler, despite the tracks that featured fairly heavily.

Right, pictures;

Nice View

..Well, while it lasted.

Heath Waxcap

No, not from the Nose again, this is more like 'proper' habitat. And hey, something you could see. Did I mention it was a bit windy, too?

The Wilhay

Normally, there'd be a lovely panorama in the background. Also I'd be more upright...

Ahem.

After an entertaining trip through the fog, I stopped off in the lee of Dinger Tor [love that name] for lunch, just as the Sun re-appeared. Though not for long.

The mistyfog rolled back in

 like a damp pyroclastic current...

It was quite impressive, if a little annoying for someone hoping for winter Moorland spp....

Make do; what can you find close to?

I think this is

Conocybe tenera

Yellowleg Bonnet

It wasn't birdless, of course - though only seeming that way at times - and there's always the element of surprise;

"Yaaark!"

Met at close range high on the Black-a-ven Brook. Not sure who was more surprised. Grey Herons get everywhere, don'tcha know..

Black-a-ven Bridge

It's that Deceiver again

A good year for

Egghead Mottlegill

Eventually the mistyfog got bored and wandered off...

The view back from Rowtor

Anyway, it was a nice walk when I could see were I was going, and properly atmospheric - even if it never reached proper 40' bowl levels of fog - when I couldn't.


Be Seeing You...

Just Nipped Out For Lunch

After losing yesterday to my head - I regained function in time to finish off that last post but not while day lasted, unfortunately - I decided, after getting some stuff done and stomping about the Patch this morning, to have lunch out in the fresh air.

Where to go?

Ok, Slapton isn't that close, but I've long had a soft spot for Stokeley Bay [I had a lot of early Lifers there, from the old shoebox hide] and well, the weather seemed good for an after-noon visit.

This chap being about didn't hurt, either;

Spot the odd one

Presumably the one knocking about Beesands last winter.

Also on the Ley were a few assorted duckies - notably far fewer than back in aforementioned olden days - and can you spot any of them??

Flat water, flat clouds, flat light

Let's zoom in a bit, eh?

Gadwall and friends

Blobs in The Neck;

Coot on right, B N Grebe on the left

[Really]

As well as the BN Grebe, a scattering of Great Crested and at least one Little, also a fair number of Goldeneye; 4 males and 2 females north of the Neck, one and one south of it, and three more females near Scaup Point. Two male Pochard were mobile around the Neck. I tried to get them on camera, but couldn't even get blobs thanks to my autofocus being a git again [the above is not sharp due to the thing only focussing on passers-by along the road?!?]

On the sea, a few Razorbill, with what looked like 3 C Scoter and a RT Diver well to the north.

Let's have another Ring-neck shot;

All-action on the Ley

Be Seeing You...

Patching Near And Far. Part 3, Keeping An Eye Out

In which I beat more Bounds, cover even more miles with a lot more hills, and get surprise year ticks and not get a full Patch Tick.

It is of note that the first picture in a post is the one put up in those little link things, so my title reflects a shot I got, rather than the awful pun I'd usually use. And I am rather happy with it;

Mr. Sprawk

 Who says pounding miles of streets never gives reward? The least conspicuous of the Patch's resident raptors, seeing one not in motion - let alone willing to pose for a picture at something like reasonable range - is a rare thing.



Anyways.
Having finally gotten around to going for that Patch Yearlist meant chasing species I'd failed to see and that meant getting into my pet bit of 'ponds' [technically, anyway], woods, farmland and so on. Somewhere that I've been going to since I was yeah high to a Doodleybug.

On the way, I had another look at the north Bay. 

Scenic weather we're having

Too scenic for there to be anything much not powered by engines, though...

Anyway again, here we go, let's find some nice proper mud. 'Mud', it's brown and muddy, right? Not here. Devonshire Red, they call it, but it's not red, it is resoundingly amazingly orange. It also stains like oops! turmeric...

How to get through water meadows of the stuff? Well, the tcct are occasionally sensible;

Don't step off, 

you'll never be seen again

Moorhens, showing well

The above being the best thing on the Ponds; I had hoped for a Coot [very rare visitor], seeing as they have been working on water quality, but no.

Onwards through woods and past vast numbers of assorted mundanes, before hitting the far farmland for, well, farmland spp.

Poser

No, not that!

Rooks inna Tree

:D

Aren't they brilliant? I love Rooks in trees.

You can tell a lot about people

depending on their reaction to this

Not everything I looked for, or indeed found, felt like posing, so here's something pretty that did

Awww

As I've said before, I'm going to stick all the fungi on Patch into one big post, but here's a taster

Oak Mazegill

This pretty much sums up

what I dislike about tcct*

Someone thinks it's Spring..?

View from Corbyn's Head

Had another look at the sea on the way home..

Bad pic of Good gull

Good pic of...

::Consults check list::
::Makes tick::

Right, next.


Be Seeing You...


[[*I could attach a long rant, but there's that saying about pictures]]

Patching Near and Far. Part 1, In The Rain

In which I get rained and drizzled on a lot, cover a not inconsiderable amount of ground [as is right and proper], and try photographing sea ducks again...


Oh dear.


Yes, this is Part 1, posted after Part 2. This due to these events being earlier chronologically.



[Sense...?? What's that???]


Due to aforementioned temporal issues, I'm going to cut this far shorter than planned [stop cheering] and simply give a brief account and then unleash put up a few pics.


It was raining sideways gunk to light rain, but I had a plan, and indeed a desire to beat a bound - Paignton Pier being the SE limit of the patch, so it needs visiting now and again. Yes, I do mean on foot. The whole thing was only ten miles or so, and only one serious hill, so not that bad, even with a scope in a bag.

The weather played Old Harry with my camera, as usual, but I managed to get a few things, though the vis was so awful, and other issues so annoying, that my secret plan to get a shot of the Surfer went right out the window. Still, there were Eider definitely in Patch bounds, so they needed shooting. Also, I've only got awful black and white blobs of them before, so a half-decent shot would be worth taking.

I duly found the Eider, but so did a BLEEEEP on a jet ski, and then a paddle boarder went right at them and flushed them way way off...

I also found a few other nice birds, some even Patch yearticks, and the legs got a much-needed stretching, so it wasn't a waste of time by any means.

Right, imaginary images;

The Scene.

[Vis only got worse...]

Not that Grey Herons ever look cheerful

"Got any sammiches?"

2w Med Gull

Eider!

Well, some Eider, in sort of focus.

"Er.. Did I do that??"

Caw, what a poser

A perambulation or two also ventured into similar weather the next day. More pics;

Ho Ho Ho

All atmospheric

Yes, Violets are in bloom

Not just them, either

Wasn't that worth the wait?

Still to come; another Patch Post, a wander around and around in the mistyfog up on t' Moor, and maybe even eventually stuff from this year? [Could it be? No, we don't believe it].
Oh, and a Fungus Special. Because those things are far easier to take pretty pictures of than to ID...


Be Seeing You...

The Glorious First

I didn't mean to chase a Big Day. Really.

Yes, I was fully aware heading Exe-wards after checking the Nose was asking for trouble, but I couldn't help it...


Things started well [or badly] with the year getting off to the good start: No.1 species for the year; Tawny Owl - doing it again :D

My last species for the day came over as I was heading back from the back of Broadsands car park [whatever was I doing there? ::whistles innocently::]

I'm sure you all know what this is, right?

 

[It's a Kestrel]

That would be No. 105.


BOOM!
:D


Between Home, the Nose, various bits of the Exe, Yarner*, and Broadsands, I managed to not only get to the Ton, but past my record too! [Ok, said record was only 101, but still]

Of note;

Ruff at Bowling Green

[It's in the middle]

Goosander off the Goatwalk

[It's in the middle, too]

Black-necked Grebe off Broadsands

1w Red-necked Grebe off Elberry

[It is there. Facing left]

Mandarin-free zone at Yarner

I'm still not chasing a Devon yearlist. Doing so would require my being in Plimoth tomorrow, and that is not happening.


What will be happening is more posting. When I get time and am not knackered.


That might not be tomorrow, either.


Be Seeing You...
[Eventually]


[[*Once I realised quite how well things were going, I figured I might as well go for it properly]]

Before I Hit The Hay

I feel I ought to stick at least something else on.


No, as you may have guessed, I'm not out celebrating the turn of the calender. It should be noted that I did go out earlier [a'Bunadh was involved, It was very good. :D ]


To me, tomorrow means resetting all those scores to zero, so off we go with the madness again. ;)

I'm still not sure where I'll be, though the chances of me chasing a Devon [ie. a serious] yearlist are pretty much nil, what with my annoying work hours. Ah, to be able to work on demand or swan off as and when... [Or even to have to at all, eh You Know Who You Are? ;) ]


But before we get to that, there is the small matter of 2018.

I sort of eventually chased a Patch Year List and I can reveal my total as 153.  My scandalously incomplete records say that my last serious attempt was in 2011, when I totalled 145.

Thus I kicked assorted behinds and am delighted.

Having for the above reasons neglected everywhere else, I only got 214 for Devon and 221 for Britain, though that did include an expletive-deleted Hume's Warbler at long bleeping last, and of course this chap;

"Meeow!"

Hey.. Was that a Review of the Year????!?

Shortest year's review; New World Record!!!



Be Seeing You...


[[Yes, all the posts I owe you will be coming in January. No, really. Honest. Cross my heart and hope to Tick a Willet!]]

Drat. Again.

Very quick one, [yes I know I have lots to post on and I will get there eventually].


I've been making an attempt to get over the line on that Patch Year List thing.. This has brought the odd moment of joy, most notably as a good 11 miles of yomping yesterday culminated in a 'I might as well have a look as I'm passing' check of the normally ridiculous Torre Abbey trench pond, which gave a shock;

Wowzer!!!

Mandarin!!

All the rain pushing the wood ducks off the rivers and onto 'safer' waters, it seems [with one at Thurlestone last week, also]. This female was very cautious, keeping close to cover and well away from passers-by; seeming to be very torn between 'flee!' and 'all these other ducks aren't scared at all so should I be?'


And there I was hoping for a Coot...

[Didn't find one]

EDIT:
As you may see from below, it seems this here duckie is a little more rubber than I'd have liked. Bugger and so on.
Oh well, what can you do... [Where's my eraser??]



Be Seeing You...