It's Not Just the Birds...

On Cogden Beach...

Ringed Plover. Today's attempt at a birder's photo.

Walking the beach this morning reminded me once again that birding, for me at least, needs to be a holistic activity. Perhaps too often I can get a bit preoccupied with this kind of approach...

The bird, the whole bird, and [almost] nothing but the bird.

A steady plod along the Cogden shingle is accompanied by the constant, gentle roar of surf. Traffic on the coast road is audible too, and less agreeably so, but the natural soundtrack of sea, wind and birds mostly drowns it out. And the whole - the sounds, the scenery, the birds - is so much more than the sum of its parts. A bit of a sanctuary really...

There was a steady movement of birds going west this morning. Meadow Pipits, Skylarks in loose groups, Siskins in tighter, writhing flocks. The only birds I bothered trying to count were Siskins, though my 115 will be no more than the tip of the iceberg. Actually, not true: 2 Ringed Plovers. Surprisingly no Wheatears or Chiffchaffs. Bird of the morning was a Merlin which hadn't read the script and dashed east.

Towards the end of my walk the sun came out, and with it, butterflies. At least 11 Clouded Yellows, one of which was a helice type...

Clouded Yellows - helice on the right.

The digital recorder was running and ready, but no 'Ooh! What was that?!' moments, unfortunately. I have no doubt it will happen though, sooner or later. And when it does, I do hope I'll have remembered to switch it on and make sure there was enough charge in the batteries...

Meadow Pipit in autumnal mood.

Yesterday afternoon I finally managed to get this far...

The East Bexington tamarisks.

I'm not sure why I bothered really. I knew it would be rubbish in the blasting wind, but was probably looking for an excuse to pass the Caspian Gull field again...just in case. Well, there were gulls, but very few, and all small...

Just look at that. The little stunner...

There were less than a handful of Med Gulls present, but I know the numbers will soon build. It's a species which never fails to cheer me up when I see one, a bird for smiling at...