...is the title I have gone for, but I could have equally gone with...
"****!" or "I Still Can't Find a Wryneck", or "Semi-Retired Birder Trips Over Wryneck On Way To Seaton Marshes Bird Hide", or "Elderly Birder Taunted And Harassed By Wryneck Whilst On A Pleasant Outing To Seaton Marshes", or "Wryneck Interferes With The Osprey Show", or "Patch Birders Learn Of Patch Wryneck Via Shetland" etc....
No, I'm not bitter about having spent the last month in the field looking for Wrynecks without even getting a whiff, when one is sat waving at passers by early afternoon on the busiet reserve in East Devon!
So how many ways could you get wind of a Wryneck on your local patch in East Devon?? Via a phonecall from someone on Shetland is probably ranked quite low - but that's how it happened! Whilst Bun was booting sibes from a rocky geo on Shetland yesterday afternoon, his pager bleeped with news of this Wryneck, which prompted him to send me this short text...
"so you've finally found a Wryneck then"
My response contained words that on here would look like this: ****
It could have been alot worse though - I could REALLY be hating Wrynecks right now as I dipped this one on the first attempt. My clocking on time for work was nearing, and it was nowhere to be seen in the howling northerly wind - all was looking rather grim so I returned home. Just as I put the milk in my tea, the phone rings.... "Wryneck's back!"
I went back to the hide, and twenty minutes later - just as the sun came out - so did this beauty...
Digi-scoped from a busy hide, in a rather awkward and cramped position (me - not the bird!)
I also took a few snaps with the Lumix...
Scoffing ants
And here's one pic four times, variously cropped...
The oringinal - zero cropping
Just a bit of cropping
Quite a lot of cropping
Viciously over-cropped!!
However much I hate them for not popping up in front of me - they are probably the most beautiful grey/brown bird on this planet, with Nightjar being maybe the only contender?
That's my weekend birding done, it is someones birthday very soon and celebrations are called for! I did sneak a quick hour out this morning though. Black Hole Marsh was rather barren (just a couple of Green Sandpipers and Shanks, and six Dunlin), but just around the corner...
Always good value!
The Marsh Harrier was still over Colyford Marsh and eight Bar and twelve Black-tailed Godwits were hiding in the saltmarsh on the Estuary.
"****!" or "I Still Can't Find a Wryneck", or "Semi-Retired Birder Trips Over Wryneck On Way To Seaton Marshes Bird Hide", or "Elderly Birder Taunted And Harassed By Wryneck Whilst On A Pleasant Outing To Seaton Marshes", or "Wryneck Interferes With The Osprey Show", or "Patch Birders Learn Of Patch Wryneck Via Shetland" etc....
No, I'm not bitter about having spent the last month in the field looking for Wrynecks without even getting a whiff, when one is sat waving at passers by early afternoon on the busiet reserve in East Devon!
So how many ways could you get wind of a Wryneck on your local patch in East Devon?? Via a phonecall from someone on Shetland is probably ranked quite low - but that's how it happened! Whilst Bun was booting sibes from a rocky geo on Shetland yesterday afternoon, his pager bleeped with news of this Wryneck, which prompted him to send me this short text...
"so you've finally found a Wryneck then"
My response contained words that on here would look like this: ****
It could have been alot worse though - I could REALLY be hating Wrynecks right now as I dipped this one on the first attempt. My clocking on time for work was nearing, and it was nowhere to be seen in the howling northerly wind - all was looking rather grim so I returned home. Just as I put the milk in my tea, the phone rings.... "Wryneck's back!"
I went back to the hide, and twenty minutes later - just as the sun came out - so did this beauty...
Digi-scoped from a busy hide, in a rather awkward and cramped position (me - not the bird!)I also took a few snaps with the Lumix...
Scoffing antsAnd here's one pic four times, variously cropped...
The oringinal - zero cropping
Just a bit of cropping
Quite a lot of cropping
Viciously over-cropped!!However much I hate them for not popping up in front of me - they are probably the most beautiful grey/brown bird on this planet, with Nightjar being maybe the only contender?
That's my weekend birding done, it is someones birthday very soon and celebrations are called for! I did sneak a quick hour out this morning though. Black Hole Marsh was rather barren (just a couple of Green Sandpipers and Shanks, and six Dunlin), but just around the corner...
Always good value! The Marsh Harrier was still over Colyford Marsh and eight Bar and twelve Black-tailed Godwits were hiding in the saltmarsh on the Estuary.
What a glorious morning - I hope everyone has a good weekend :-)
You should have gone with "". Very catchy title indeed! ;-)
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