Surprises

A couple of flying surprises today, as the new Night Thing meant I got to go birding on a weekday! :) [[Albeit at the cost of sleep - please excuse any, er side effects in the quality of this posting...]]

After umming and ahhing about trying Budleigh I plumped for Dawlish Warren, as I haven't been for a while, the tide was at a nicely accessible time, and there might be Roseate Terns. I ran into [Famous Devon Birder], we wandered about the place together and a great time was had by all. First up being 4 Blackwit flying over upriver, followed by finding a very juvenile Redstart on the Back Path - this spotty little darling still had a touch of yellow to the gape, it was so young. The baking heat of mid morning failed to produce any Sand Lizard!s, but several hours in the hide over the tide gave a very nice Roseate Tern, which eventually showed well when the heat haze dropped off. [Famous Devon Birder] then had the second surprise of the day, when he got on what looked like an LRP flying with some Swallows; it eluded me and seemed to zip off south. Or so we thought, as it had sneakily dropped in and after 15 minutes or so was suddenly with the small group of Ringos lurking near the spartina. A gorgeous juvenile, it eventually came very close to the hide and gave great views. :D

Four s/pl Knot were looking very pretty [though never close], as were many of the 95+ Sanderling that scurried and scampered across the beach - coming much closer, but never staying still long enough to really enjoy! Two of these had colour rings, which have been recorded and sent off - details will hopefully be forthcoming. There were more than 50 Dunlin, a single Barwit, a couple of Redshank, the Whimbrel and [over by the railway where the haze made a count impossible] a group of Curlew. Out to sea, a couple of Common Scoter flocks passed south - one of 10 and one of about 18 - as did a couple of Gannets. At least 3 Common Tern were with the 200 or so Sarnies, but no Little or Arctic that we could pick out. A juvenile Med Gull dropped in, though settled too distantly on the river for a proper look.

I'd only meant to spend an hour or two there, before either calling it a morning or heading on to dip the Glonk [I'm quite good at dipping them - I've only ever seen one!], but I had so much fun that the time just went. A cherry was that the lovely Council have taken away the horrible speed hills [which destroy your suspension and damage nearby houses] and resurfaced the road. Joy! :D

Finally, a very unexpected surprise came this evening at 2012 exactly. I was startled to hear the call of a Curlew flying overhead! Garden Tick! Patch Tick! What was even more startling was why it was flying north calling while it was still light. Unfortunately, due to reporting restrictions, I can't be specific - suffice to say that the poor wader was bricking it, though probably not in any actual danger.

PYL: 130!