Sunday 5 April 2015

Duck and Cover!


 
Its a warzone out there! Rare bombs are dropping in, on and around our facial space. But more of the impending stonkathon in due course Watson.
 
With a long Easter weekend ahead the action got going the minute I finished work with this nifty female Garganey down at Porthellick, showing only too well as I shamelessy stole her soul with an unhealthy volume of photos.
 

Being typically skulking at first...





This subtly charming duck soon gave full frontal views...
 
 
The following day I headed to Tresco to sort my life out and jam some Yank ducks, having been the only person ever to dip on the Black Duck a couple of weeks ago it was time to smash that, and smash that I did, finding it grubbing off down Pentle Bay with some Mallard home dogs.













Being my first since 1996 it was great to reacquaint myself with this superficially drab species. Such a distinctive body shape and that wing patterning, chronic. 

 
A mission round the Great Pool for target number two scored Little Grebe and my first Swallows on route. Despite the bitter northerlies it had the feel that birds were moving, through shear bloody mindedness if nothing else!



Further down and there he was, proud as punch, wonky go faster stripes and all...







Back on Mary's yesterday I thought, well, its daytime, best go goggle some Night Herons. Firstly Porthellick then Old Town came up trumps in lumps with an immature and couple of adults seen as they desperately flew from pool to pool in search of food, a sad but nonetheless impressive sight!






Immature getting diurnal...



Adult trying seafood...

Despite promising winds, albeit fairly localised, there hasn't been many new arrivals, but this Continental looking black and white gem of a Stonechat was hopping mad below the Golfcourse this afternoon

Finally as I was walking the dogs early evening a call came through about a male Hen Harrier over Porthellick! Holy titflaps! Luckily I was near a decent vantage point so duly walked there and picked it up as it quartered the fields to the east, even perching in Holy Vale. Holy moly!



 
With SE then S winds and warmth forecast over the coming days, it could get very interesting, all I know is I'm wearing protection!