well today was a family day but i was allowed out for an hour so i went to stover cp. i had heard that there was a ring neck duck with the polchard but i didn't see it. i was hoping for a med gull but too eluded me, so what did i find? not much out of the normal but it's all practice. I'm trying to learn calls, i did manage to find a goldcrest! no the lake tufted ducks dove for their food as did GCG.

well up with the lark this morning. first stop the warren. I saw some gulls flying over the road by cockwood so I stopped at the railway crossing to inspect them. unfortunately there was no med gulls but i did manage bar tailed godwits, black tailed godwits, lapwing, buzzard, loads of redshank, dunlin and brent geese, all dark bellies.

i moved on to warren proper. langstone produced great northern diver looking huge by itself and the razors and gillies very small as they fed. as i was on top of the rock i scanned the water along the spit and got velvet scoter and a massive barge with cranes(not birds) moving into position to remove containers off the napoli.

i then walked along the seawall to find great crested grebes, 9 in total. i walked around the 1st pond, nothing, the main pond revealed little grebe and i continued towards the beach. when i got there i found a 2nd GND and a couple of red throated divers looking fresh and bright. eider were feeding off shore but that was it for the sea. As i walked back down greenland lake i heard a call from a bird but couldn't place it, i later found out it was a cetti's warbler, cool.

a sparrow hawk caught a wood pigeon as i walked to get to my car, i love nature. watching real life as it happens, real life not the rubbish on TV.

i now had to meet the family for lunch and i had time to go to Little Haldon (by teignmouth golf club). One for my favourite bird showed as i got there a dartford warbler, very close and very showie.

Lunch out, nice.

I managed to get 15mins at the passage house on the way home and found loads of black heads, commons and curlew. as you can see, 1 was oiled, i suspect from the farce that is sat off Branscombe.

i will apologise now because i have had a few glasses of wine tonight. mmmmmm.

goodnight.

well no photo today but i didn't have time to take any.

i managed to get down to Dawlish Warren this morning for a look around first up were a flock of scoters of the sea joined by 2 great crested grebes. it was a still morning and the sun had just risen over the sea. beautiful. i walked around the sea wall towards the beach searching for anything of interest but it was a quite morning. i got to the first pond a heard a water rail and then 1 squealed and popped into the open, yeah a year tick! i continued to watch for the 2nd bird but it never showed, it just called now and then. a quick look at the main pond only revelled a couple of coot and moorhen and then the phone rang.

My lovely wife's car had broken down so i had to go and sort it. B@$#@&D

I did manage to get 1/2 an hour in my lunch to go to a secret spot i now with in walking distance but nothing ever turns up there, the best I've had is a buzzard but not today. a few blue tits and chaffs.

i always say 'I watch birds because i enjoy it and if something special turns up then that's great' i can watch blue tits and blackbirds for as long as i could watch an osprey or phalarope.