Drenched

An early excursion to the coast found Nick C and I tramping around in the dark (slight exaggeration) and a howling gale to say nothing of the rain. The tramping produced a Woodcock which initially mistook Nick for a tree but then decided that he might not be the ideal hiding place and headed off to a nearby hedge. One or two Black Redstarts were suspected but not proven. A pale brown passerine was flushed from one of the muck heaps, caught by the wind and disappeared forever. Clearly there had been a bit of a Blackbird drop as on a couple of occasions groups of five or six were flushed from gorse or gardens as we passed. A single Fieldfare, a single Redwing, a Reed Bunting and nearly 1,500 Starlings were pretty much it.

Ideas of Grey Phalarope sent us searching the harbour where two drake Eider were sheltering and one Purple Sandpiper was discovered.

Louise then sent us to the pub the wet way, we walked, and not to the nearest pub either. A warming luncheon raised the spirits and 170 or so Pink-footed Geese (found by Ellen) sent us home in a rather bedraggled state.

Pink-feet in the rain