NT
On the 17th October:
1976
A visit to Frampton, starting at the lakes where we saw a Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Gull, 2 Kingfishers and a Turtle Dove. Then to the foreshore seeing c800 Lapwing, c500 Dunlin, a Little Stint, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5+ Redshank, another Spotted Redshank and c200 Teal.
1977
Our final day on St. Mary's, at Salakee we saw a Redwing, 4 Bramblings and a Firecrest, then in Holy Vale there were 19 Redwings, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Water Rails, a Woodcock and a Pied Flycatcher. At Watermill we saw a Garden Warbler, 7 Siskins and a Spotted Flycatcher, on the Golf Course there were 2 Wheatears, 13 Lapland Buntings and a Tawny Pipit. Lower Moors was quiet, but, we did see a Richard's Pipit as it came to drink at the pool, a new bird for us. Then we went to Trehoweth seeing 7 Black Redstarts, a Brambling and c15 Siskins and at Telegraph we saw a Merlin.
Later, we took the boat to Tresco, on the way seeing a Short-eared Owl flying over the sea and landing on a rocky outcrop. On Tresco we saw a Redstart, 5 Bobwhite Quail and on the Great Pool a Blue-winged Teal, another new bird for us.
1978
Another day on St. Mary's, starting at Peninnis where there was only a Chiffchaff and a Firecrest of note. At the Golf Course we saw a male Merlin, then at Telegraph a female Merlin, returning to the Golf Course we re-found the Richard's Pipit and saw 3 Wheatears. Then at Salakee we saw a Redstart and 5 Turtle Doves.
1980
On St. Agnes where the wind had dropped slightly from the overnight gale, it was dry, but cold. Around the island we saw a Black Redstart, the Booted Warbler again, 4 Firecrests, 2 Redstarts, 2 Lapland Buntings, a Merlin and a Great Northern Diver in almost summer plumage. Looking across to Annet we could see 330 Great Black-backed Gulls and a group of 19 Barnacle Geese.
1987
Leaving Tennessee and a drive to Virginia on a BBC sound recording trip, no new birds seen today.
2000
A trip to Devon, with a walk along the River Exe from Exminster to Powderham seeing a Whinchat, lots of gulls, 6 Little Egrets, 20+ Redshank, 6 Greenshank, 400+ Black-tailed Godwits, 50+ Curlew, a Whimbrel, 13 Avocets, c50 Dunlin, c40 Golden Plovers, a Knot, a Kingfisher, a Spoonbill and 3 Red-breasted Mergansers.
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