NT
1976
A weekend at Portland and Weymouth, at Ferrybridge there were 6 Common Terns, 3 Sandwich Terns, 3 Wheatears, a Whimbrel, a Ringed Plover and a female Kentish Plover.
On Portland we saw a Redstart, a Nightingale, 4 Chiffchaffs, a Corn Bunting and a Wryneck. On the sea from the bill were 8 Gannets, 2 Guillemots, 13 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Terns and a flock of around 50 Whimbrel passed by.
Later, we went to Radipole Lake seeing the Purple Heron again and a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull. Returning to the bill for an evening sea watch we saw 2 Gannets, 15 Common Scoter and c18 Purple Sandpipers on the rocks.
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Photos: Kentish Plover.
1982
A trip to Portland where the best birds seen were 5 Redstarts, 3 Garden Warblers, 2 Black Redstarts, 4 Corn Buntings, a Pied Flycatcher and 3 Whinchats.
At Ferrybridge we saw 25 Little Terns, a Greenshank, 15 Wheatears, a Spotted Redshank, 5 Common Terns and a 1st summer Glaucous Gull. At Radipole Lake there were 2 Ring-billed Gulls, an adult and a 2nd summer bird, and, a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull.
1984
1985
In Tunisia, no new birds seen today.
1988
1999
In Zimbabwe on a filming and sound recording trip, 1 new bird seen today.
2000
A trip to Blagdon Lake where there was a 1st summer male Lesser Scaup, also the usual ducks and lots of Swallows and House Martins, with a few Sand Martins.
2004
Staying with friends, Neil and Ella Hipkiss, at their hotel in Looe.
I spent some of the day filming the nesting Grey Herons and Little Egrets in the trees by the side of the Looe River, from the car park on the opposite bank.
The herons had almost fledged chicks, while the egrets were only just starting, perhaps some had eggs in their nests.
I counted 6 Grey Herons with 2 large young and 8 Little Egrets, but there could have been more.
Are the egrets waiting to use the heron's nests?
Are they nest guarding?
Also seen were lots of gulls including Great Black-backed Gulls which breed on Looe Island, just off-shore.
Over the woodland I saw at least 6 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk, while in the hotel garden we found a Slow-worm and a Hedgehog.
Video of heron & egret colony, also see here.