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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JWN Andrewes" data-source="post: 3540515" data-attributes="member: 7131">March 19thI've been keeping a very interested eye on the comings and goings of the big fella in Start Bay the last week or so, and as my weekend off drew closer I started to lay plans. So it was that after an afternoon drive to Exeter on Saturday afternoon and an overnight at the M5 Travelodge (dudey enough for you Jos?! o<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /> ) we set off on our quest. First up was a visit to a well known car park near Brixham, my first visit in fact, and my first real attempt at Cirl Buntings since the days it was necessary to negotiate what seemed like an age of winding country lanes to get down to Prawle. This was so much easier. Having been told which bit of the site would yield the best dividends I parked up at the right end of the car park, stepped out of the car, and from a small bush around 10 yards away I could instantly hear a Cirl Bunting singing. Like I said, so much easier. Excellent point blank views were enjoyed by all, after which a quick check of Birdguides revealed the whale was still off Slapton.My plan had been to bird around for the rest of the day before hitting Slapton  at around three, with the whale's habits of late having been to pop by of an afternoon, but with sightings already coming through I buckled and it we were Slapton bound, via the Dartmouth ferry which went down very well with the boys.Plenty of Gannets off shore, but no whales, just some rather distant porpoises. And boy was it windy. Kind of damped down a lot of bird activity, had been hoping for maybe a Sand Martin or Swallow or two, but they were keeping well out of it, can't say I blame them. We relocated after an hour or so and went looking for vantage points over the bay, bumping into plenty more Cirl Buntings along the way, as well as a fly-by Peregrine which I thought was a year tick, but the boys assured me we'd had one at World's End (I checked when we got home, they were right, memory's getting worse). Still no whale though, so we decamped for lunch at Dartmouth Castle and then headed back to Slapton to spend the rest of the day on cetacean stake-out. Plenty more porpoise (buggers to photograph), and the boys had a blast playing on the beach, and eventually the call went up; Humpie had arrived! It was going at quite a rate,awesome beast, brilliant views, but like the porpoises a real challenge to commit to virtual celluloid. Eventually it was lost to view and so, with a five hour drive ahead of us, we struck for home enormously satisfied.Ps - Many thanks to John & Jon for helpful and timely info!</blockquote>

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