(CLICK ON A PIC AND IT WILL GO BIG)
Dick Dastardly had the right idea.
Pigeons, they are really rather annoying birds. Especially at this time of year. They are flying all over the place. Sometimes they look like Sparrowhawks. Sometimes they look like Peregrines. Sometimes they even do a good Cuckoo impression. The problem is all of these birds are rather interesting and exciting. A Pigeon isn't...
I have been fooled at least half a dozen times in the last week or so and it probably wont stop anytime soon. Still, I have been quite poorly over the last few weeks, so I was happy to find the strength to get back on the saddle and go and see some wildlife and countryside (even pigeons).
I headed out to Tealham Moor, where the herons were very busy. Unfortunately it was rather dark and taking pictures of them was pretty useless. Luckily a camera friendly swan did swoop in front of my lens.
After listening to the strange gurgles and cackles of the herons I drove on, stopping and starting and generally making a nuisance of myself for other drivers.
Still it proved quite worthwhile with some quite camera friendly birds of prey.
A handsome fellow
I was lucky to get close to this Kestrel
I really like it down on the moor. Its bleak but has a certain wild quality to it. Most enjoyable.
I did notice this odd looking duck. A weird hybrid or something?
After driving about \I thought I\ would do a bit of foot slogging. I went over to Westhay and wandered up London Drove. On the way a Dunnock held still for just a moment.
You've got to be quick to get this bird on a stick
I was also lucky to see two Sparrowhawks (unless it was one of those trickster pigeons again).
Everything was really still and quite warm. Sadly there was very little sunshine. But I still had some good luck with a Great White Egret flying close along with some geese.
Its bill isn't yellow at the moment.
These geese looked nice and cant be mistaken for Pigeons
Then something really good/bad happened. A Kingfisher landed about 5 feet away from the hide on a branch. What an amazing bird. I slowly reached for the camera... It was gone in moments. It would have been fantastic to get it but if it were that easy then it would be boring I suppose...
Meanwhile up above Dick Dastardly had a new flying machine and was busily searching for Pigeons to stop.
It was flying all over the place and causing quite a disturbance.
Sadly, I couldn't quite make out Mutley.
Despite the grey weather I had enjoyed myself. On the way home I spied a couple of roe deer.
Always alert.
Its a Peregrine. No its a Sparrowhawk. Oh its a pigeon...
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