Gavin Haig
Well-known member
Tour-leading
Had a very pleasant day with old buddy Paul from London. Stopping off with us for a while en route to Cornwall he had already sent me a shopping list of required year ticks so I could arrange the tour. We started the day at Lower Bruckland Ponds where we saw nothing on the list. On to the estuary, where the 2 Egyptian Geese were present on Bridge Marsh, and we saw nothing on the list. Seawatching was next on the agenda. One and a half hours later we had finally dented the list - with Gannet(!) and a single Manxie W. Not much else was rash enough to be anywhere near the coast in a NE and bright sunshine, just 6 Sandwich Terns, 5 'commic' Terns, 1 Dunlin, 1 Swift and 1 Swallow all coming in. On to Beer Head, where we once more saw nothing on the list, plus the added bonus of no migrants at all. Superb views of a wrecked container ship though.....
The sunshine tempted us to think about alternative activities, and we began to head off to a butterfly site that Paul had up his sleeve. But it gradually got cloudier and less butterfly friendly. Paul's resolve was broken very easily when his pager announced the presence of a Woodchat Shrike at Dawlish Warren. He stamped and pouted, demanding a rapid and immediate detour to see it. As a helpless passenger, what could I do? A very nice Devon tick for me, and year-tick number 3 for Paul. Forgive the off-patch pics.
Off to Lyme Regis for year-tick number 4 - a Dipper with its offspring on the River Lym.
After a pub dinner this evening we notched up number 5 with a churring Nightjar at Trinity Hill.
Had a very pleasant day with old buddy Paul from London. Stopping off with us for a while en route to Cornwall he had already sent me a shopping list of required year ticks so I could arrange the tour. We started the day at Lower Bruckland Ponds where we saw nothing on the list. On to the estuary, where the 2 Egyptian Geese were present on Bridge Marsh, and we saw nothing on the list. Seawatching was next on the agenda. One and a half hours later we had finally dented the list - with Gannet(!) and a single Manxie W. Not much else was rash enough to be anywhere near the coast in a NE and bright sunshine, just 6 Sandwich Terns, 5 'commic' Terns, 1 Dunlin, 1 Swift and 1 Swallow all coming in. On to Beer Head, where we once more saw nothing on the list, plus the added bonus of no migrants at all. Superb views of a wrecked container ship though.....
The sunshine tempted us to think about alternative activities, and we began to head off to a butterfly site that Paul had up his sleeve. But it gradually got cloudier and less butterfly friendly. Paul's resolve was broken very easily when his pager announced the presence of a Woodchat Shrike at Dawlish Warren. He stamped and pouted, demanding a rapid and immediate detour to see it. As a helpless passenger, what could I do? A very nice Devon tick for me, and year-tick number 3 for Paul. Forgive the off-patch pics.
Off to Lyme Regis for year-tick number 4 - a Dipper with its offspring on the River Lym.
After a pub dinner this evening we notched up number 5 with a churring Nightjar at Trinity Hill.
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