Unexpected Garden Tick

I've been hoping for one of these all winter and thought my chance had gone now that April is here, but when I got home this afternoon after a few hours birding on patch I spotted him by the bird feeders and got a couple of shots from the kitchen window.

No.82 Brambling

Yesterday in the garden, my fifth butterfly species this year was this Comma.

Bending The Rules Again

This morning I visited Colyford Common. I was hoping to see and possibly photograph Water Pipit, a bird which was once upon a time relatively easy to come by on Colyford Common itself. I've taken a few nice photos of them there in the past. These days though they can only be seen on the Colyford Marsh side, the other side of the tramlines so to get a decent photograph of one would be somewhat of a minor miracle. I don't know the reason for their sudden dislike of  Colyford Common itself but one factor may, just possibly, be the fact that it is now regularly used by the Axe Valley Runners. Do wildlife and athletes with a penchant for day-glow Lycra mix well?

There were two Water Pipits on Colyford Marsh both coming into their lovely summer plumage with a grey head and a lovely peachy pink wash on the breast. They were predictably distant and although I stated on here back in January when I started my patch photo year-list that I wouldn't include any ' blurry record shots or distant specks'... Guess what?

Distant specks which are in fact Water Pipits.

They don't really pass the 'easily recognisable' criteria but you can see how striking they look even at a distance. I took this with the 400mm lens but what was needed for an acceptable shot was the old faithful digiscoping camera.

Still hopelessly distant but I think they are easily recognisable as Water Pipits from these shots. So although they are definitely 'blurry record shots' they are going on the list..

No. 81 Water Pipit

There were also three Little Ringed Plovers and a White Wagtail on the scrape but very little else around in the freezing and very windy conditions. I saw this male Sparrowhawk on a fence post alongside one of the many ditches on the common, probably looking out easy prey such as chilled Chiffchaffs of which I saw several searching for insects in the ditches.

Grey Plover

Since Gav found a Grey Plover on the estuary on Sunday I've been hoping to get a decent photo opportunity so as to to add it to my list, I've spotted it on a few occasions but it's always been too distant for photos. This morning I stopped at Coronation Corner just to see what was about and there it was right in front of the new viewing platform with three Ringed Plovers. I was going to digiscope it from the car but no sooner had I set my scope up than I saw a man walking his dog right along the edge of the river. "Typical!" I thought  as he walked right between the birds and the viewing platform "he's bound to flush them". He didn't though, amazingly they completely ignored him, which I took as my cue to approach the platform to get some photos.

No.79 Grey Plover

No.80 Ringed Plover

Also at Coronation Corner but already on the list were...

Curlew

Black-tailed Godwit

And at Seaton Marshes late afternoon..

 The braced legs of this Wheatear may give a clue to the wind strength. 

He didn't hang around long although there were swarms of flies there this afternoon in the more sheltered spots, much appreciated by the Chiffchaffs, of which there were dozens....

..... doing what they do best!