River bank wander

We took a damp walk along the banks of the R Clyst and through to Topsham, guided by my brother and SIL. It was low tide and the silty mud/sand was largely covered in bird footprints but few birds to see; they'd be elsewhere catching lunch at the tide line. However, we did see some action at this bird hide with Black Tailed Godwits, Lapwings, Mallards, a couple of Teal and a large Heron flapping overhead. I find birdwatching very therapeutic; there's no point staying for less than 10-15 minutes to really see anything and during that process you simply unwind and observe life unfolding gently.  It's wonderful. We should do it more often. 

We've come back to M'vanwee to dry off a little before a BBQ tonight at the observatory where my brother is a member.  Classic British BBQ weather I'm afraid - might be plenty of smoke in the marquee and a bit of huddling going on :-)