Blackdown Cuckoo

Today was a visit to Blackdown to find the three reported Ring Ouzels, unfortunately we dipped on those but whilst waiting we had distant views of what we thought was a mystery raptor. Of course it turned out to be a juvenile Cuckoo, somewhat late in the year and a fair distance away. The bird allowed us to approach to obtain record shots and then decamped to trees further up the valley. Another wait for the ROs gave only a Kestrel so we departed for Church Norton which turned out to be a waste of time as did a subsequent visit to the North Wall. When will these birdless days end??

 

A long way off

 Taking the macro lens allowed me to capture three specimens of the burgeoning fungi crop at Blackdown.

Fly Agaric, Amanita muscaria 

Parasol, Macrolepiota procera

Any ideas gratefully received

Rye and Old Lodge

A repeat of my normal routine, Rye in the morning followed by Old Lodge in the afternoon. With a clear blue sky I was looking forward to the visit to Rye, As sometimes happens things didn't live up to expectations. Whilst the Black-headed Gulls, Mediterranean Gulls and Sandwich Terns have nested and chicks are hatching the Common Terns are sadly missing, just a few dotted here and there, nothing like the numbers of last year.  On the way to Ternery pool I spotted four Avocets - 2 pairs I guess. One pair must be in the Synchronised Wading event at the Olympics, as everything they did  was perfectly together. There were plenty of Terns flying in from the sea but a visit to the beach showed only a few fishing near in. A Skylark politely posed for me, as did a Cuckoo but both were up sun of me giving less than optimal photos. A fleeting visit from a Peregrine set the terns aloft but apart from that there was little to get the pulse going. So, after a cup of tea, I made my way to Old Lodge in the Ashdown Forest. 

Cuckoo

Skylark

Synchronicity

I have a distinct feeling that the message had got through that I was coming  and everything must have gone into hiding, just a few Stonechats, an obliging Woodlark, and not a sign of a Redstart.

Woodlark

Ubiquitous Stonechat on gorse