Black-headed gull, already in breeding plumage in mid-February, boldly standing on the quayside by the River Exe at Topsham.
Category: David
Views of a reed bed
A couple of shots at one of the many reed beds in the Exe estuary area. One stalk was standing taller than its fellows, stark against a threatening sky. Looking just a little lower down, the bed formed one mass.
Shelduck feeding, resting
The RSPB Bowling Green Marsh Reserve again. A shelduck upends to feed on the bottom of one of the shallow pools, while nearby, another duck snoozes.
Fungi with white mould
Fungi, possibly velvet shanks, rotting the tree they are growing on. In their turn being sustenance for the white mould growing on them.
Wigeon afloat and ashore, Bowling Green
Wigeon, constantly whistling to one another, swimming on a stretch of the open water at the RSPB Bolling Green Reserve. Others moving as a group as they fed among the tussocky grass.
Algae, Clyst Footbridge, Lower Rail
The busy Exeter to Exmouth main road crosses the River Clyst by a fairly narrow, historic stone bridge. It’s only a few years since there’s been a wooden bridge for pedestrians and cyclists running beside it, built with the development of the RSPB Goosemoor Nature Reserve.
Already, the footbridge supports a rich array of algae. This is a small sample, mainly of those growing on the rail inches above the floor level.
Great egret, grey heron
The great egret, still standing on the far side of the Bowling Green Marsh Reserve, was now approached by a heron stalking towards it, giving a strong impression of being on a mission to intimidate the incumbent. The heron carried on striding for a few yards beyond where the egret was standing, but then the egret, immobile up to this point, flew off.
Violet (crocuses, Topsham churchyard)
In what I presume was a deliberate decision to aim for a colour match with the violets flowering nearby, the crocuses planted in Topsham churchyard were all of the violet form.
Great egret, alone (record shots)
Lurking at the very back of the RSPB Bowling Green Reserve, right by the railway line, was a lone great egret. It’s just about visible in these pictures.
Devon violets: purple violets by a lane
Yet more early flowering Devon violets. These were growing on the grassy roadside bank further along the same lane as the white violets which featured in a post earlier this week.
Two spoonbills, one cormorant (record shots)
Two spoonbills which have been staying for most if not all of the winter on the RSPB Bowling Green Marsh Reserve at Topsham. Not only were they standing so far from the hide that they’re tiny in the shots on my camera, which had only limited telephoto range. One of the pair was placed as if deliberately hiding behind the nearby cormorant.
Devon violets: white violets by a lane
More mid-February Devon violets in flower. These were growing in the roadside by the dead-end quiet lane which runs along the RSPB Bowling Green Marsh Reserve in Topsham.