Turnstones turning

Turnstones turning

The Exe estuary at low tide has huge expanses of exposed soft mud, pullulating with invertebrates. That, together with its temperate climate, make it an important site for large flocks of overwintering birds: geese, ducks, waders and more.

When the water’s out, there’s usually a handful of turnstones close to the Goat Walk at Topsham. They wander, more or less as a group, from one clump of seaweed to another, probing the ground searching for things to eat.

Gaudy sunset, Exe estuary

Gaudy sunset, Exe estuary

A gaudy sunset, probably the most vivid one I’ve ever seen, looking over the Exe estuary at Topsham. Pictures taken with a mobile phone camera, so the white balance varies from shot to shot. In my memory, the light was even redder than it appears in any of the pictures in the sequence.

Early blooming narcissi

Early blooming narcissi

Narcissi with the flowers already open almost a fortnight ago, on the pavement of a quiet residential street.

Elf cup time

Elf cup time

Scarlet elf cups are fungi which produce their brightly coloured fruiting bodies just about this time of year. I’ve not managed to get out to look for them at any of their usual spots this year for various reasons. So here’s some pictures I took a few years ago.