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Thursday 5 February 2009

Yeartick Hunting

The sea was a dead loss this morning, with a pair of Mallards in-off easily the highlight.....oh dear! Seven Common Scoters were on the sea along with a few Red-throated Divers.

The estuary was quiet, Lower Bruckland gave just the now resident pair of Tufted Ducks, and an Egret hunt around Colyton produced just seven Little Egrets - no Cattles! Where have they gone??

With not much going on, I thought I'd take a wander up the Coly from Heathayne Bridge - there's certainly worst ways to waste a morning! In fact it wasn't a waste at all, very pleasant in fact.

A small section of the River Coly

I kept walking north until I jammed into want I wanted most, a
Dipper. I heard one calling a few times just before it belted past me at break-neck speed heading down river - result! The other yeartick I 'bagged' was Siskin.....about 200 of them! The same flock Karen had seen a few days ago, just north of Heathayne Bridge - well impressive!

Some of the Siskins

When the flock flew at least one Redpoll was calling amongst them but I couldn't pick it out. No worries though, as little further up river, two Lesser Repolls showed awesomely well feeding low in some more isolated trees. This tree in fact....

A tree!

I got so close to them I even tried taking some hand-held shots! The light was always going to be rubbish, so the photo was always going to be rubbish. Oh well, doesn't stop me....

Hello Mr. Redpoll!

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