A Quick Look
Another cold day, but sunny here in Exmouth. However there seemed to be a fog bank out at sea and in Torbay. Not much time for birding today, as I was going to watch my beloved Exeter City FC this afternoon - more on that later! The adult male Blackcap put in an appearance out the back of our home again. I had to run an errand in town this morning so I drove down with my wife and son. Now, in January I always try to get at least one yeartick a day. It keeps the list going and the interest up! I thought a quick 20 minute look at the seafront might provide the yeartick. However, we hadn't even reached town, when on travelling down Hulham Road, I spotted a small group of Redwings flying over! Yes, they were conveniently a yeartick that I hadn't connected with yet. I eventually pulled up on the seafront anyway, and although the tide was in, there seemed to be very few birds actually "out there". A couple of Red-breasted Mergansers posed as 'grebes' for a while, but when turning side-on instead of showing me their 'bums', they were caught out! I was scanning with my 'scope when I realised that I was looking distantly at the long-staying female Surf Scoter! This species although rare, has turned up in our area now for some years running. Today it provided me with the rarest yeartick I've had so far.
OK, on to the footie, or should I say, the lack of it. I drove in to Exeter with my son and his girlfriend, extricated myself from the car, only to told by a passing fan that the game had been called off due to an icy pitch! This is something that very rarely happens down here in mild old Devon. We are supposed to be playing a home game again on Tuesday night, but I reckon that could be in doubt too, looking at the projected weather forecast!
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