NT
On the 21st September:
1974
A drive from Weymouth to Rodbourne Sewage Farm in Swindon to see a Long-billed Dowitcher, a new bird for us. The only other birds there were 4 Snipe and a Green Sandpiper.
Later, we went to Chew Valley Lake where we saw 2 Little Ringed Plovers, another new bird for us. Also 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Dunlin, 3 Snipe, 6 Greenshank, 3 Pintail, a Wigeon, 8 Gadwall, a Kingfisher, a Kittiwake and 7 Black Terns.
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Long-billed Dowitcher.
1975
A visit to Chew Valley Lake where there were lots of waders, including a Buff-breasted Sandpiper.
1976
A visit to South Devon starting at Prawl Point where the best were 3 Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Tawny Owl, c10 Ravens and 6 Stonechats. At Slapton Ley there were lots of duck and warblers, 5 Black Terns, c30 Dunlin, a Little Stint, a Spotted Redshank and we heard a Bittern.
1979
An evening return to Chew Valley Lake, but the Wilson's Phalarope from yesterday had gone, a similar mix of waders in lower numbers, with new in, 4 Curlew Sandpipers.
1980
A visit to Cheddar Reservoir where we saw the Wilson's Phalarope again, also 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 15 Ringed Plovers, 9 Dunlin, a Little Stint, 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 7 Ruff, 3 Black Terns, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Red-crested Pochard.
At Chew Valley Lake we saw the other Wilson's Phalarope again, also 43 Ruff, 26 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, 13 Oystercatchers, 40+ Ringed Plovers, 22 Dunlin, 4 Little Stints, 23 Common Terns, 15 Black Terns, 2 Sandwich Terns and on Little Denny Island the long staying 2 Pectoral Sandpipers.
1982
Leading a Wingspan tour to Turkey, 1 new bird seen today.
1983
Leading a Wingspan Tour to Western Turkey.
1988
1996
A visit to Blagdon Lake where the highlights were, a Red-necked Phalarope, 3 Curlew Sandpipers, 14 Little Stints, 3 Dunlin, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Ruff. At Chew Valley Lake there were another 7 Little Stints and 3 Ruff.
1998
On a filming and sound recording trip to Zimbabwe, no new birds seen today.
2010
A visit to Avonmouth, to one of the industrial parks, where in the ditches in the site there was a juvenile Glossy Ibis. The bird was ringed and, we later found out, it had come from Spain.
2014
A visit to fields near Barrow Guerney where I had brief views of a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling, also seeing a Wheatear, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Ravens, a Whinchat, c40 Starlings, a Hobby and 2 Roe Deers.
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Whinchat.
2016
Staying with friends, Neil and Ella Hipkiss, in Looe, today drove south to Perranuthnoe on the east side of Mount's Bay with Neil, to see a Hudsonian Whimbrel which at the time was a new British bird for me. Also seen were 2 Curlew, 4 Whimbrel, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, 10+ Turnstone, a Golden Plover, 3 Ravens and 16+ Shags.
Hudsonian Whimbrel
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