Hi Dave, thanks for that, I've arranged to go next friday to see my parents (who live in Dorset), I will definately check out Studland Heath sounds great.
My dad is well excited too, he wants to do some birding with me, it'll be the first time since I was a child so we're bothing looking forward to it.
P.S. Your list is amazing, Stone Curlew is a must species for me, sounds like you had a very fruitful trip :t:
I saw 4 Stone Curlews at Weeting Heath this afternoon (including 1 chick). 2 Stone Curlews were also observed by friends of mine, who I had arranged to meet at Lakenheath RSPB, at a site close to Lakenheath. On the reserve I saw a drake Garganey, a Bittern in flight, Marsh Harriers and heard a Golden Oriole singing from the Trial Plantation. Sadly the bird did not show for the many eager eyes hoping to catch a glimpse of this tuneful songster.
The day before had seen me stationed in the Avocet Hide at Cley Marshes at 4.15am, after having spent a largely sleepless night in my car at Salthouse. There was no sign -again - of the Great Snipe, which I had dipped on 3 days running the previous week - the Lesser Yellowlegs, Shore Larks(2), Temminck's Stint(2), Little Terns(2), male Bearded Tit, Spoonbill, Short-eared Owl and Wood Sandpiper providing the highlights of that visit. After about an hour I returned to my car, parked at the Visitors' Centre, to get some more sleep.That afternoon I visited Burnham Norton, where I saw the female Red-necked Phalarope, 2 adult Spoonbills and a Hobby, plus I heard a Quail calling. 2 Water Voles - a first for me - had a bit of a squabble in the channel in front of the pool where the Phalarope was showing. I returned to Cley for an evening session in the Avocet hide, again to no avail.
This morning, as I left the B&B I had booked for the night - The Three Horseshoes in Warham-All-Saints - I was greeted by my first Spotted Flycatcher of this year, perched on the wires opposite the pub singing his little heart out. But the highlight of the day came a bit nearer home when at 8.30pm having made my way via Weedon, Northants and dipping on the Black Stork that's been there for a week or so, I, along with Midlands Birder, his father, Matt Griffiths (the local patch man and finder of the bird) and a few other folk, saw the Night Heron fly across Windmill Pool at Earlswood Lakes. That was my 5th "lifer" this year.
P.S. Gavo, I visited Aylesbeare Common (near Exeter) last year and gained some cracking views of Nightjar there.
John
