Another Year Bites The Dust, Part 1; The Lost Weekend

The Cornish side of the family descended a day earlier than scheduled and so birding was suddenly curtailed. A cunning plan for a seawatch was scrapped as I found myself taking custody of a Little Black Dog while Stuff was Done. The weather didn't know the seawatch was off though, so we got very wet and very winded. Fortunately for me, I had my full seawatching gear to hand and so stayed dry. Unfortunately for Tilly, I had my full seawatching gear to hand and so she got a proper yomp [she didn't mind that much, really - any chance to bark at cats/squirrels/plastic bags/poor innocent ladies with umbrellas.... ;) ]. Tilbury even walked nicely to heel now and again - though I soon noticed this was whenever a car came past on our side of the road - that dog is quite intelligent when she feels like it.. We saw a Chaffinch and a Blackbird - the latter seeing us just in time - so it wasn't a total loss :)

In the afternoon, once They had arrived and the weather cleared up, we took a wander about Cockington. Just a gentle stroll - I was quietly hoping for a Coot on the ponds, but no joy - very civilised.


Sunday morning saw another stroll - this time a loop of IMD. Again very civilised stuff, though there were three divers in Hope Cove which I had to be dragged away from [bah, no appreciation for the important things in life, some people!]. One was a very nice 1w RTD with great big shiny thigh patches - a real sneaky one at range, that! :)

Sunday afternoon saw me scuttle off down to the Downs to have a look at the roost. Very glad I did, too, as there were a few birds in! 1700+ large gulls, 400+ Kittiwakes, a few Razorbills, only 12 GC Grebes, but a group of 6, yes 6 Great Northern Divers! When I arrived there were three fishing off Withy Point, I admired them for a bit, then got to counting. Later, I was going through a raft of Kitts when 6 big dark shapes cruised through the middle of them - GNDs!! They were in tight formation and stayed that way - I've not seen a diver flock roosting together like that before. :D


And finally... As anyone who's dipped looked for the Perinville Rd Waxwings recently may well have found out, there is now a non-bird attraction there. Towards the Babbacombe Rd end a swallow hole has opened up! The opening in the tarmac is only about a half metre square, but the void underneath is much bigger... Ah, the joys of limestone, faults, and lots of rain. :)  Another one opened a few months back in the middle of a football pitch - the guy driving the tractor mowing the grass got a shock - by Anstey's Cove, and there's a dinky little one in a footpath near Tessier. It makes you wonder about all those little dips in the roads around here, I must say...





Today's fun - I went to the Nose [[SHOCK!!]] - will follow later.