There's No Escape..

From my Birding Highlights of 2012!!!


So, without further ado [or posts about what I've done so far in 2013*], here goes;

10.
17 Waxwings on my Patch and showing really well! Wooo!

9.
The Siberian Stonechat at Soar. 
Late in the day, dodgy weather, a few brave foolhardy souls persisting in the face of a terrible dip...  and then the immortal "Oh it's just over there, we've been watching it for a while now". The elements of a proper 'ardcore twitch, really! Cracking bird when we got to it, too. :)

8.
Black-winged Stilts, assorted.
Twitched to Dorset and got very rained on. Dipped at Exminster and got even soggier. Finally nailed [for Devon] from the platform at Powderham Marsh and, yup, got rained on again! Wonderful birds but oh, how I had to work for them.

7.
The Short-billed Dowitcher.
A skulky mega-rarity, a huge crowd, some interesting viewing conditions, someone gets it, someone doesn't, directions-via-mobile, Mr. Evans.... all the ingredients were there! What a day. :)

6.
Common Yellowthroat.
Yet another proper twitch [that'll be version 3, then..]. A really skulky mega-rarity, a carload of twitchers, downloaded directions, The Bucket, trying the other side of the hedge, learning valuable lessons- ah, ok, I'll stop the listing. Anyway, it was a great day.

5.
Leach's Petrel at Berry Head.
Need I say more? :D

4.
Spotted Flycatchers at Hope's Nose.
On my Patch. On my Patch. Not just one, not just flying past, or sitting for a moment then buggering off, oh no, flycatching, looking amazing, and calling!!

3.
Roseate Terns at Hope's Nose.
[[Let's see, 5; seawatching, 4; Patch, so.. 3; seawatching on Patch!]] It's one of the things that has bugged me; that Roseate Terns, those gorgeous birds, fly past the Nose. I know they do it, they have to, but can I be watching when they do? Ha ha.. But not any more. Not only do I finally see one, but it's two - and yes an adult with the tail and everything! Then another one later on in the year!

2.
10 Long-tailed Skuas.**
Yes, even more seawatching.. Late August, a cadre of Devon's finest seawatchers, some suitable weather, and me. The company, the birds, the debates about the birds - we had a right old time. Still makes me wax biblical; "Oh the Faithful did come and the Lord did rain down skuas upon them and it was Good." Ahem.

1.
Seawatching in June.
Not a single day, but a series of watches in June [yes, you read right, June]. 33 Puffins at Berry Head was just the start of it; the best was the watches at the Nose, when planning, pondering, and consideration led me to be there when the weather came together in just the right way. The way for Storm Petrels. Why the best experience of the year? Because I was reading the weather, knowing my Patch, thinking that 'this is possible' and being right. 45 little black and white marvels over the peak two seawatches isn't a big number by any means - it's dead for the Bridges! - but to me it was and still is wonderful.



There you go; Patching, twitching, and seawatching. Yeah, that's about right! ;)




[[*I'm not chasing a yearlist.]]
[[**The official account may {ok, does} differ, but I was happy with 10 skuas as good Long-tails.]]