diary2

The travels continue....

DIARY PAGES

2005

AUGUST 2005

A whole day spent traveling to the Orkney Islands on the 1st was well worth it. The White-billed Diver , which has been there for nearly a month, showed amazingly close to the shore-line. Not so for the Laughing Gull, It gave me the run around for almost the whole of my two day stay. I finally caught up with it on the morning of my departure. A stop off at some of the Lochs around the Highlands on my way home was well worth it. I managed to spot two Black-throated Divers doing a little late displaying. On the 7th I managed to see my second ever Ring-billed Gull @ Merseyside, it showed superbly on the fields around the car park @ Otterspool. a Med Gull also showed well in the same area. Although a bit distant it was great to see the summer-plumaged Long-billed Dowitcher @ Rutland water on the 9th. Devon seem's to be the place to be this month so I was glad I was taking a family holiday there. I managed to connect with the Black-headed Wagtail as we were stopping close by. I was glad the Wilson's Phalarope was relocated to Farlington Marsh, Hampshire. it gave great views during my visit on the 23rd. I finished the month with trips to Derbyshire for the Spotted Crake @ Ambaston, Leicestershire for the Pectoral Sandpipers @ Eyebrook, Yorkshire for the Lesser Yellowlegs @ Tophill Low and finally Lincolnshire for the superb Red-backed Shrike @ Gunthorpe. Another superb month.

JULY 2005

On the 6th I waited & waited for news of the Sooty Tern @ Anglesey, by dinner-time I'd given up waiting and decided to go back to the National Wetlands Centre @ Carmarthen as I'd heard the Collared Pratincole was showing well on another part of the reserve. I wasn't disappointed, it showed feet away from the screen near Heron hide giving stunning views. A trip to Norfolk was cut short when news broke that the Sooty Tern had settled @ Cemlyn Lagoons for the day. The heat was unbearable but the bird showed superbly, at times flying right over our heads. Another Sunday another Tern !, this time a superb Lesser Crested Tern which certainly gave me the run around. I finally managed to catch up with it @ Happisburgh where it settled down for a short while. At last I've finally managed to catch up with Bee-eaters thanks to the RSPB announcing that a pair are breeding in Herefordshire. What stunning birds, definitely worth another visit. Sadly news broke that the Bee-eater nest had been predated, nature can be so cruel some times

JUNE 2005

A disappointing start to the month after dipping the Bee-eaters in Shoreham & only getting a brief & distant view of the Gull-billed Tern on the River Adur. However things soon picked up with a drake Lesser Scaup giving excellent views on Monkmoor Pool, Shropshire, on the 7th. The only other drake that I've seen was miles away on a Loch in Scotland. It was nice to travel down to the South-West for a change especially when news that a Balearic Woodchat Shrike had been found. It showed very well. I enjoyed a great day at the National Wetlands Centre, Carmarthen on the 14th, not just for the cracking Collared Pratincole, but for the bonus of seeing both the African & Eurasian Spoonbill. I thought the African Spoonbill had moved on months ago. It was nice to travel down to the south-west again this time for a superb Marsh Sandpiper @ Bowling Green Marsh RSPB, Devon

MAY 2005

May started very slow for me, mainly due to heavy work commitments, but it soon picked up from the 9th onwards. I counted each day till my day off hoping the Gull-billed Tern @ Dungness would stay, and thankfully it did. The heat-haze didn't help filming much but the bird performed very close to the hide at times. A quick recovery from the flu meant I was back out and off to Norfolk for the Stilt Sandpiper @ Burnham Norton on the 16th. It was very distant at first but later came a little closer, the strong wind made filming very difficult. The long trip to Scotland on the 18th was worth the effort for the Drake Barrow's Goldeneye @ Newburgh, and then in-land for Osprey, Capercaille & Red-throated Diver @ Aviemore. On the 20th a very early trip to Cheshire paid off. Thankfully the four Whiskered Terns stayed @ Ashton's Flash till 6.20am giving great views. On the 21st I dipped on the Black Kite @ Cheshire but had some consolation with the Red-necked Grebe at Knowsley Park, Lancs, which gave superb views. Another trip to Norfolk / Suffolk for the Woodchat Shrike @ Cromer & Trumpeter Finch @ Languard on the 24th rewarded me with some excellent footage of both birds. Not knowing a Terek Sandpiper had turned up @ Cliffe pools RSPB on the same day, meant I had a killer drive straight after work the following day. At first the bird was no where to be seen but thankfully after almost an hour it showed superbly in front of the mound...., I really need to get a pager!! Another trip to Norfolk for the Collared Pratincole @ Cley on the 29th, great bird though distant. And finally on the 31st a Spotted Sandpiper @ Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire. Thankfully only a short drive away, what a superb month!!!

AJUNE 2005

JUNE