It's all kicked off.

Birds birds everywhere. It must be April!

I haven't been to Dorset.

I have been having lots of fun on my Patch, seeing a very nice Patch Tick, so didn't even turn my 'puter on until this evening.

I won't be going to Dorset tomorrow, it being Mothers' Day and she not fancying going to Durlstone CP for the family get-together. [[I may have aired the thought - what, I'm still a birder! ]]

"Red-flanked Bluetail? It's just a bird!"

I keep saying that to myself.

I'm hoping if I keep at it, I might even believe it.

Anyway, on with the fun.

Yesterday, in between Doing Things that needed to be Done, I managed to see bugger all of note. Even the grotty Harbour gulls were just ordinary bog-standard Herrings without even a dark-centred tertial among them.

Today I had much more fun. Early gunge cleared away to sunshine and it felt promising. A seeming good omen was a tree with no less than 9 [yes, 9] Jays in it. They were playing that polite Jay game of laid-back tag; hop, hop, waark!, hop, hop.. etc. The Ilsham valley was full of flowers, the Chiffs were singing and as I got to the sewage works, the Grey Wag that's been dodging me since last year flew past. :) Having read in no less weighty tome than the Herald Express [[Our local rag, famous for misprints, unintentionally hilarious letters and being 2-10 days behind with the news]] that according to [Famous Devon Birder] there was a Blackstart hanging around the south end of Meadfoot, I resolved that it couldn't hurt to take a look. I admit I don't often bother with the bit between Meadfoot and Daddyhole*, due to it being lots of steps and 2 car parks, but as I got to the [still shut] loos, I saw somethings that made me scurry up those steps and skid down the slippy path to the little 'observation area' thing. Said somethings being a Wheatear and a frelling Blackstart!

[[*Don't you just love those names?]]

Approaching with care [which also let me get my breath back..] I quickly got onto the Wheatear - a lovely male - but the Blackstart had done a bunk. Not surprised. I stuck around in case it came back, but was only rewarded with another male Wheatear. The two of them struck poses at each other for a bit while I kept an eye out for passing hirundines [you never know]. Onwards to the Nose I went, to find the Top Dell alive with insects and full of birds munching them. I didn't even get all the way in, just stopped at the entrance and watched and listened to the birds all around me. Robins and Wrens and Dunnocks and Greenfinches and Blue and Great and Long-tailed Tits you'd expect - though a male Greenfinch landing within 10' of my head and starting singing I didn't - but this was all about the warblers. At least 7 Chiffs were joined by 3 Willow Warblers, one of which was singing well and showing better. I was enjoying following one about when it flew to the far side, drawing my eye to the right spot to see a non-descript olive bird with a long rounded tail flutter up from a patch of stingery stuff and into a bush. The [very] edited version of what I said aloud would be "Oh my, that's a Grasshopper Warbler." Pure spawny jam, no denying it. :D

The reason why that Greenfinch felt able to come so close now arrives, as I spent a looong time waiting to see if the Gropper would show again. After I admitted defeat, I realised that today was a very good day and went to the place where the Garden Warbler had been last year. Not a sniff. I had some [very delayed by all the fun] lunch and then tried a couple more past sites but they too drew blanks. Not quite that good a day, then. An attempt for Ouzel at another site also resulted in nil points. However, I did see some cute newts, so not all bad. :) Mr. Blackcap is still lurking about, though I haven't caught him singing again so flagrantly [sitting in a Holly being far too visible - doesn't he know they're supposed to skulk and hide and sit along branches so you can't see them??].

"R-F B, it's just a bird"

Nope, still not working....

PYL: 104