Vicissitudes of Fortune

I've had an up and down sort of day today, it began when Steve texted me this morning about the pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins he had seen off Seaton seafront. I've never ever seen a wild Dolphin and was desperate to get out there, but couldn't. Why? Because I'd been instructed to stay in and wait for the 'famous package', yes the same one I was waiting for all of last week. But today was different it was coming on a guaranteed next day before 10AM delivery, So you see I daren't have left the house for a moment, if I'd missed it I'd have been in big trouble! I thought if they were heading east I'd see them from the bedroom, I rushed upstairs with my scope - they were heading west! Later I find out that they were visible for a massive 40 minutes. You can see some great video footage of them on Steve's new blog - titled Birds, Birding and Me. A good choice of title, for unlike my blog it will probably feature many birds!

If I knew then what I know now I would have gone and had a look anyway, yes you've guessed it, the courier didn't show! If it’s possible for a person to actually explode I’d have done it by now. It’s not even anything for me!! AARgh!! :-(

Then more bad news. Remember yesterday's post and my cynical presumption that the tree slaughter had something to do with an imminent planning application. Well cynicism prevails again. Look what appeared outside the site this morning:

Bad News

It's a splendid information poster about the proposed new development 'Seaton Quay'. On the right of the picture is a serene looking lady staring blissfully out over the water, exactly where my little trees once stood!! Told you so! Joking apart look at the size of the thing. I was expecting an 'executive' housing development of some kind but not a gargantuan block of flats, hundreds of them! Look at this picture:

A bit on the big side

Anyone who knows the area where I live will recognise the houses on Trevelyan Road to the extreme left of the picture. They are massive houses much taller than average. Now look how much taller then them the new flats will be. I'll definitely lose my view of the river, and of Seaton Marshes and quite probably of the sky as well!!

After ten o'clock had passed I thought. "Stuff the courier, I'm off up Axe Cliff with the dog" It was quiet again with more golfers than birds. I saw a couple of lonely looking Wheatears and the usual Linnets and hirundines. I couldn't see any golfballs, but thanks to wearing thin soled trainers I felt a couple! I was walking along in some rough grass when I felt a distinctly hard lump underfoot, and being desperate and sad enough to investigate, was handsomely rewarded with not one, but two new golf ball ticks!! Here they are:

The Pinnacle Gold

I think I'd be right in saying this is the first repeat ball found, because Gav already has this one. It's a tick for me though. :-)

Now the biggy:

The Pinnacle - Long Drive

This is a real unusual beast, the blurb says: The Pinnacle Gold Long Drive golf ball, designed for golfers seeking the maximum distance allowed by the rules of golf. It is actually designed for the breakaway sport of Long Driving though. See here. The characteristic of this ball is raw distance with minimal spin, which helps the bounce and roll. It is optimized for long driving and is less sensitive to play with on a regular course, albeit possible. Someone was being a bit optimistic methinks!!

I also spotted this sticking out of the grass, Mr. Angry's been at it again!

Another Golf Club tick?

I eagerly pulled it from the undergrowth to find out the make, but I couldn't tell. Why? Take a look at this:

Ouch! Useless club was asking for it!!

Blimey! He was really angry this time, snapped it in two first and then lobbed it. I also found the detachable bottom half of the legs from a pair of walking trousers someone had obviously lost. They had become a home for lots of fascinating creepy-crawlies including this ( I don't know why the picture's sideways) Millipede:

It has exactly 150 legs (presuming it has matching pairs) - yes, I counted them. I really need a bit of excitement in my life!!

At lunchtime I popped down to Colyford Common for a quick look at the scrape. Nearly all the water's gone!! On the few puddles remaining were; 13 Dunlin, 3 Ruff, 6 Little Stints and some Blackwits. There was heat haze and people moving around in the hide but after Monday's successful Spotshank photos I tried some more. They were rubbish. Here's one of the least rubbish ones though, coz I have to put some bird piccies on here sometime don't I?

Knee- high to a Godwit

At 3:30 I was at home making bread and butter pudding for the kids, don't faint, I do mumsy stuff sometimes, when I get a call from Steve. He's spotted a Honey Buzzard from the Farm Gate at last. "It's coming your way" he said "it's circling over Coronation Corner" I ran out into the garden with my bins, already in my mind I was putting a big fat tick next to Honey Buzzard on my yearlist, I looked skywards and saw, the Osprey and the umpteen gulls it had just 'put up'. In the melee of circling birds I managed to fluff it :-(