Woke up to a sunny warm morning, the rest of Devon was a bit like pea soup. I had to meet a farmer this morning as part of a volunteer role I do for the RSPB. The farm is on Dartmoor and absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to survey the land.
After lunch I made it to the warren. It was so warm I wore shorts. I went straight to the sea wall and found a Wheatear, then another,then another! All in all I found 6. (I waited ages to see them on my patch then 6 at once). I meet up with a couple of fellow birders and we walked to the dune ridge, on the way we found a female Kestrel trying to find something to swoop on and a male Stonechat. the later is coming into summer plumage and looks stunning.
On the ridge we watched the sea because it felt right for Sandwich Terns. And within 5 minutes the call went out 'sarnie flying right, diving down, on the water, in the air, still flying right, turning back' by the time of 'diving down' everyone was on it and then we started to see more. Then JF said that he could see them on a buoy and sure enough 2 were sitting on a red buoys so I had a look a some of the other buoys and again more Terns. These didn't seem to be passing through, they were resting and fishing, for a good couple of hours, 10 in total.
Also on the sea were 2 Fulmars, 18 Mergansers and a single Red Throat Diver.
At last the warren is getting good again.
On the way home I popped into Exminster Marshes to see if I could find the Shorteared Owl that was reported yesterday, but it was not to be.
You can't have everything.
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