Thursday 21 February 2008

Ploughed up!

Perhaps carrying a camera round makes you get a bit of the Paparazzi in you. this couple rested on a seat overlooking the sea, happily chatting away.

When the stood up to go they faced away from each other and it looked a bit like "parting is such sweet sorrow". But in fact it was just the way they individually had decided to get back to the path and they were quickly reunited. It makes you realise how easy it is to film someone "storming out" when in fact they are hurrying in!

I went out for my walk along the cliffs. Being pessimistic, about the chances of finding something special, has two advantages. One, I wasn't disappointed and two, I was right. Nevertheless you can't be disappointed if you can stand and watch Fulmars zooming round the cliffs, I still find them as exciting to watch as the day I first saw one, half a century ago.

The "big field", quite understandably, has been ploughed, so I hope the flowers (weeds) I wrote about earlier in the month (see here) ahd managed to fulfil their needs. There were still a few birds on the field, mainly Meadow Pipits and Skylarks but the lack of weeds and seeds meant the the finches had moved on, while Black-headed Gulls hawked over the furrows looking for uncovered invertebrates.

The smaller field, two down from behind the Monument, is still growing it's weedy crop and it was there I found the Linnets. I also flushed a Pheasant and the Grey Partridges as I walked across.

In addition the flock of Yellowhammers is sill feeding in the fields, I counted at least 26 today. The quickly go up in the hedgerow and join the Chaffinches already there when they are disturbed.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The picture of the Black-headed Gulls is interesting... it plays a visual trick on the eyes. If I look at this piture, circles appear around each bird, but as you moveeye position, they dissapear... do you folks see this too? Or are my eyes knackered?

Tony Morris said...

Hi, they're Linnets, no pictures of gulls today, no your eyes aren't knackered.
Tony

Anonymous said...

Eyes still functioning; species identification flawed :(