Fancied a Quickie!

.....but she didn't, so I went for a few hour birding!!!!!  First stop, Castle Island, back to normal i.e. an island as opposed to mudflats.  A Grey Heron upto its knees, a GSW south over. 200 adult GBBGs with a supporting cast of juveniles, HGs and BHGs.  The only waders were sknahsder (cunningly created anagram), and on the water, Teal and Mallards in abundance.  A few Moorhen too.  Pleasant, but nothing to test my 45 yr old 'ticker'.  So off to Bothal Pond.  Wigeon, Tufties, Coots, BHGs, a few Mute Swans, the obligatory Lapwings and a few corvids.  Heart safe here too.  And to conclude the sedate pace of Liverbirding, Longhirst had two Mutes, a dozen Teal and a Mallard or two.  Hardly a Mega day, but nice to get out.  And tomorrow will be a sea watch day I think, given what passed there this afternoon - two Lifers!

Mixed Bag

Tried for some closer/better views and shots of the Ibis.  Unfortunately, the Oddie Hide was not full of Goodies (Oh, the humour) and all the seats were full.  I may dress as a pensioner or a pregnant woman next time and a nice gentleman might offer me his seat!!!!  Anyway, life's too short, so knowing the BBS had flown off north, and was clearly not at The Pools, I went to East Chev.  Zillions of geese - PF, G and B - Lapwings and Golden Plovers, Teal, Gadwall and Wigeon, a juv GC Grebe, hods of GBBGs with a healthy smattering of LBB and BHs, Mallards, a Meadow Pipit eatng a caterpillar (caterpillars in October!) and other bits'n'bobs.

Warm, sunny, devoid of other Homo sapiens and the sound of geese.  Blissful!!!!

Phew!

WHIE yesterday lunchtime and the same today - a bit Groundhog Day.  Wet underfoot, clear-ish skies, Buzzards above, Lapwings on the ground, the entire UK population of Woodies in one half km square.  The only difference?  Yesterday, a Sparrowhawk was above the larger Flash and today, the dog went missing for 10 minutes (that seemed more like 10 hours).  Everyone reunited, Mrs M less tearful, and all home for dinner!

"Sea-Fever"

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky..........
I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide...........

By John Masefield (1878-1967) (English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)

You can't beat a bit of culture!

Anyway, Seaton Sluice between 3.30 and 4.30 pm today, a flock of over 100 Eiders just off shore.  Worth a check, me thinks.  For once, me thinks right!

In amongst, 3 young Common (oops, there's that word again) Scoter, 3 adult males and a male Velvet Scoter.  Like herding cats, so trying to digiscope sea ducks on a bit of a swell is far from easy.

A few poor attempts follow:

West Hartford Common

Lunch time today, and a very enjoyable stroll-ette with my trusted companion around WH and its periphery.  VERY quiet, starting with a Crow on the building site fence, and on what is left of the larger flash, two Common Starlings, 50 Lapwings, a BHG and a Common Gull.  No waders, even the reliable Common Redshank was nowhere to be seen.  The smaller flash was devoid of any birds at all, and to the north, where the woods are, 3 Jays and a Common Buzzard.