The Glorious First. In Parts.

My attempt at a Devon yearlist [chasing, not just counting] started in traditional manner with the 1/1 Big Day. Having to think strategically about said yearlist, I wasn't able to make a serious attempt at my record. A good thing, probably, as the weather really wasn't playing ball. The birds weren't exactly on-message either.

I started, as you should, on Patch.

Sunrise at the Nose

Things started before sunrise, of course. My eternal hopes of a 0001 Tawny Owl were dashed by the horrific amount of fireworks let off [which started about 7pm and didn't really stop until gone 0100....].

Still, it was very dark when the localest Robin opened up with assorted beautiful death threats to all and sundry. Most pleasingly, second was a Tawny Owl, causing even the Robin to pause as he gave a good series of hoots.

At the Nose, it was both windy and rather wet. I watched the sea until the sideways rain eased enough to let me scope the Buoy Farm for the Common Scoter and Eider. This took a while, which was fortunately enough of a while to get all three flavours of diver - currently to be found by day off Broadsands but who roost north of the Nose [so QED where they pass, right] - and while the rain got into my camera and stopped me shooting them, I did get the better one later on in the week. [So look to future post for awful record shot of BTD]. Also of interest, two groups of Curlew - heading south.

Heading north, I hit the Exe, as is traditional.

Camera decided to unstick [nice howling wind helps some things] so here's somethings;

Great-crested and Black-necked Grebes

Cockwood Crossing gave a fair array of species, including sneakily scoped Spoonbill way off the other side [all according to plan], but not the oft-reported Goldeneye.

Onward to Powderham Bend, where there was absolutely no sign at all whatsoever of any Egyptian Geese all day. The Pinkie was eventually [only took and hour and a half] found up by Turf - lurking across the railway line - and a nice flock of Avocet were alas on the far side of the estuary.

Avocets

All the waiting for the Pink-footed Goose did leave me right where I needed to be when a thousand waders dropped in right across the channel from me, though. So swings and Sanderlings [groan]

 

A few of the throng.

 

How many spp. can you see?

There was one bird not too far away I needed to go for, but the Clyst St. Mary Whooper Swan had gone long before I got there.. And not come back or set down a little way away, either [you have to check]. Found this out the fun way, walking around hordes of frothing Chiefs fans [I didn't realise quite how close the ground is] and trying to find views of the downstream section of the floodplain.

With the goose-chasing, goose-waiting and swan-hunting eating hours, the light faded and that was that.

86spp.  Not too bad, considering.

Be Seeing You...