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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Matt Prince" data-source="post: 1797537" data-attributes="member: 52862">Saturday 17th April 2010Plans to look for otter and yellow wagtail in the Axe area were placed on hold when news of a possible blue rock thrush on Lundy came out late Friday. A quick check of the weather showed the crossing would be favourable, and there would thus be a chance of cetaceans. So an early start and we were on the Oldenburg in Bideford at 8AM waiting for the off.. The weather was favourable as expected, a little bit of wind, but a slight sea state with small waves and no white caps. Manx shearwaters were loafing around and not far out from Lundy I glimpsed a single porpoise. Arriving at the quay, it looked like we were the only birders looking for the rarity, undeterred we headed upwards, stopping only to check out the sea spleenwort on the wall and the lundy cabbage growing above the track half way up. Tracking up the East coast large numbers of phylloscs and wheatears were apparent, but when we eventually got to three quarters wall there was no sign of a rock thrush, either on the wall or on the cliffs on either side, instead there were lots and lots of wheatears hopping up on the rocks and a stunning female merlin hunting low over the heath. Obvious up on the heath was low cushions of western gorse, duller, lower and unflowering in contrast with the common gorse lower down.Heading down the west side Nicola found the Golden Hair Lichen she was looking for, and we managed to find a lone puffin floating far below in Jenny Cove. A couple of mini beasts added to the day tally, a quick pint of 'Lundy Experience' whilst we checked out some plant id's and we made it onto the Oldenburg in time for an Island circumnavigation before departing for Bideford. Return journey, more porpoises and assorted seabirds, but nothing new. Still a beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable day, even without the hoped for 'mega'.Sites: LundyNew Species : Manx Shearwater, Merlin, House Martin, Puffin, Harbour Porpoise, Lundy Cabbage, Sea Campion, Creeping Willow, Danish Scurvy Grass, Round Leaved Water Crowfoot, Western Gorse, Golden Hair Lichen, peltigera hymenina (lichen), parmotrima perlatun (lichen), trentopohlia (algae), trochosa ternicola (wolf spider), heather beetle.Totals: Birds 155; Butters 5; Flora 110; Funghi 25; Grasshoppers 1; Mammals 10; Marine 45; Misc 17; Moss&Lichens 9; Moths 2; Spiders 5; Beetles 6Grand Total 387Nicolas grips RL Partridge, Holly Blue</blockquote>

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