Bon Voyage

This is a bit of catch up post before I go off for a couple of nights to Norfolk, with Jess. I have been up here many times birding in the winter, but have always wanted to see it in the spring/summer months. Fingers crossed that the weather stays like it has been and that I don't miss any goodies on patch!

I've got a few things to mention here, so shall do it day by day...

TUESDAY 22nd MAY

After getting wind of a probable Curlew Sandpiper on Black Hole Marsh, I went straight down there. Where there was indeed a Curlew Sandpiper, a nice summer plumaged bird too...

A Stilt Sand wannabe!

We all got a bit gripped off that evening though, when I had a text and then a phone call from a Seaton resident who had seen a Hoopoe in Honey Ditches Drive.....twice! Typically there was no sign of it when any of the birders tried their luck!

THURSDAY 24th MAY

It was a non birding day for me, but I timed my arrival home perfectly as Bun had just texted to say a Red Kite had flown east over Beer. I looked up and there it was, circling low over Seaton, before gaining height and appearing to fly back west.

FRIDAY 25th MAY

Saw three Red Kites this day. At 10am, two flew low north over the Donkey Sanctuary, and at 15:00 a third flew high and fast west over Lower Bruckland Ponds. The highlight of this day though was getting stunning views of a stonking male Yellow Wagtail singing for about half an hour! I won't be posting details of where it was, just in case it finds a mate! I hope it does :-) I also finally got my first Hobby of 2012, with one north over Black Hole Marsh early afternoon.

SATURDAY 26th MAY

Jessie's birthday! I woke up and went through the contents of my moth trap...

1 Garden Carpet
1 Silver-ground Carpet
1 Green Carpet
1 Red Twin-spot Carpet
3 Brimstone
1 Peppered Moth
1 Pebble Prominent
2 Muslin Moth
1 Heart and Dart
1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
2 Bright-line Brown-eye
1 Pale-shouldered Brocade
1 Hebrew Character
4 Treble-lines
3 Vine's Rustic

Then we headed up north and spent the day on Exmoor, around the Watersmeet area (still Devon). What a stunning place!

The walk offered some beautiful sights...

Not bad hey!

But with four miles of walking, I was very pleased to see this...

Watersmeet House, owned by the National Trust

Because it meant...

Cream tea!!! I do look rather pleased don't I!

A Red Kite flew over us at the start of the walk, and during the walk I counted 5 Wood Warbler, 2 Pied Flies and 1 Redstart in the woods. And on the river there were 5 Grey Wags and 3 Dippers, including this right poser...

It stayed on this rock for at least 15 mins!

We ended the day with a lovely pub lunch in Dulverton. Happy Birthday Jessie :-)

SUNDAY 27th MAY

Another non-birding day, except for a quick check of Black Hole Marsh early afternoon that produced a lone Greenshank. Not the Black-winged Stilt I was hoping for!

And that brings me up to date. Well, almost! I put the moth trap out last night, and it gave me over 50 moths this morning. I'd better get packing now really, so shall post about this catch on my return home later in the week...