Saturday, 24 November 2018

Autumn turning into Winter

On a Saturday morning with no earthly reason to head into town, we pottered around our local circuit instead, soaking up some brief sunshine, as well as the sights and sounds of wintering wildfowl.

Some Teal

Do you think two dozen Snipe is too large a quantity to be called a wisp?

A splash of Teal (not a recognised collective noun)

Rock Pipits trying to form a Goth band

 A Redshank on the tide line

More Teal and Snipe

A Moorhen upon reflection

Back to front: Cantick Head lighthouse; mv Pentalina; causeway to Hunda; Churchill Barrier number 3

An obliging Rook

Sunshine on a distant Hoy
Just after I'd put my camera away (as it was starting to rain), we walked by a garden with a large Hebe bush in it. A movement caught our eye, which resolved itself into a warbler of some sort. I'd guess, probably a Chiffchaff, brought across the North Sea due to several days of easterly winds. Additionally, this might also explain why we've had another two Robins in our garden this week (technically, we're not due another Robin visit until Spring!).

2 comments:

Uphilldowndale said...

A wisp of snipe, well that is up there with a charm of goldfinches as the most delightful collective nouns.

Imperfect and Tense said...

We don't normally see Snipe in such large flocks, more usually in ones, twos or threes. Down by the shore, it was high tide, so this (as much as the time of year) may have had a part to play in bringing the birds together. Yes, collective nouns can be very evocative, and anything which promotes a love of Nature is to be welcomed.