I was planning to be on the sea front by dawn. I would have had to walk down, so had my alarm set for 06:30. For some reason either it didn't go off, or it just didn't wake me, and there I lay in bed snoozing for longer than I had expected!
When I finally did wake up, I gambled and got my car out. All was fine, and I got to the sea front at 09:30. All WASN'T fine here! I'm flipping glad I stayed in bed...
...you could barely see the sea!
A look up the valley didn't show anything that was obviously new, but six Gadwall and yesterday's Barwit were still present...
With Blackwits about halfway along the Estuary
The Bewick's Swan remains with the small gang of Mute Swans opposite Stedcombe. This photo is rubbish; the only reason I'm posting it is because it shows how small the Bewick's looks...
Teeny!
Lower Bruckland Ponds is nearly entirely frozen over, except for a small patch in the corner of the top pond. This was covered in ducks, though only two of them weren't Mallards. One was this...
Shoveler
And the other was this....
Answers on the back of a postcard please! What is it and where? (ps Coot isn't a duck!)
I then had a look at Bindon Barns, hoping for a nice rare Bunting. This never materialised, but there were up to 30 Yellowhammer feeding on the spilt grain...
Certainly worth keeping an eye on then, I would LOVE a patch Cirl Bunt!
It had just passed midday, and another look over sea showed the horrible 'sea steam' was clearing. So I went to Seaton Hole.
Also here were two Eider, eight Common Scoter and a flock of six Tufted Duck which landed briefly on the sea before flying off west.
When I finally did wake up, I gambled and got my car out. All was fine, and I got to the sea front at 09:30. All WASN'T fine here! I'm flipping glad I stayed in bed...
...you could barely see the sea!
With Blackwits about halfway along the EstuaryThe Bewick's Swan remains with the small gang of Mute Swans opposite Stedcombe. This photo is rubbish; the only reason I'm posting it is because it shows how small the Bewick's looks...
Teeny!Lower Bruckland Ponds is nearly entirely frozen over, except for a small patch in the corner of the top pond. This was covered in ducks, though only two of them weren't Mallards. One was this...
ShovelerAnd the other was this....
Answers on the back of a postcard please! What is it and where? (ps Coot isn't a duck!)I then had a look at Bindon Barns, hoping for a nice rare Bunting. This never materialised, but there were up to 30 Yellowhammer feeding on the spilt grain...
Certainly worth keeping an eye on then, I would LOVE a patch Cirl Bunt!It had just passed midday, and another look over sea showed the horrible 'sea steam' was clearing. So I went to Seaton Hole.
A very nice surprise here was a distant Velvet Scoter - my first on patch for a wee while. The word distant is an understatement though - I couldn't tell you what age or sex it was! Hopefully it will stay with us for a few days or more, and drift in a bit closer!
Also here were two Eider, eight Common Scoter and a flock of six Tufted Duck which landed briefly on the sea before flying off west.
To complete this post, a Brambling flew over the garden at 9am, but almost no Skylarks and not one Lapwing! What a difference a day makes....
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