.... rain and cloud!!
But first, yesterday, where a brief 'coffee-and-teacake' visit to Titchfield with M saw two Buzzards by Horsea reclaim with one sat up like a sentinel on the mast of the derelict boat and the other in a hedge. The sun was glorious over the Solent with virtually no wind but just a fraction cooler than a previous similar visit; apparently 14R-tD and 4 Goosanders offshore for earlier visitors.
Two roadside Kestrels and two more Buzzards on the way back.
A major turn in weather overnight with continuous rain from before dawn to after dusk saw a damp trip to WWT today, where at least short distance between hides so easy to stay dry(ish). Above, in this weather, the combination of Ivy, moss, fungi and lichen draped around the trees feels almost primeval; and being damp ensured few visitors (also above!!).
The wet weather was to the liking of over sixty Snipe either feeding or snoozing and a couple of Kingfishers popped up at various times during the visit. Just one damp, perched up Peregrine and four Water Rails, three showing very well and enjoying the wet conditions.
Nice to chat to PS, following on from last week's theme of 'pesky mammals'!!
And later DennisG for the first time in many months, and unusually out 'single-handed'; he pointed me in the right direction for a Firecrest although it had moved 100 yds down the hedgerow. A very damp male Bullfinch sat just above it and was joined later by a female.
Above picture also shows the difficulty of hand holding scope in one hand a phone in the other for this phonescoped Snipe; won't be trying that again anytime soon.
And finally my old Danish pal 'White 6MZ' a now 4cy+ Black-headed Gull was preening outside SMH.
