NT
1975
A trip to South Devon, along the Exe Estuary we saw 4 Greenshank and a Weasel.
At Dawlish Warren there were 140 Oystercatchers, a Whimbrel, 2 Sandwich Terns, 12 Turnstone, a Willow Warbler and several Skylarks.
Then a drive inland to Yarner Wood, where we saw lots of tits, 4 Wood Warblers, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Nuthatch, 2 male Pied Flycatchers, a Jay and a Treecreeper.
At Haydon Wood there was a Cuckoo, 2 Stonechats and Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers.
Photo: Skylark.
1977
A walk through Leigh Woods seeing 2 Nuthatches, a female Pied Flycatcher, a Green and 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 8 Marsh Tits,
3 Treecreepers, a Jay, a Blackcap and 2 Hawfinches.
The male Hawfinch was seen first at the top of a tree near 'the green', the female was seen in a tall bushy Hawthorn tree where she disappeared into an ivy covered fork. On approach she flew from a nest about 8 feet up in the tree and sat on a branch about 6 feet from us. We retreated and watched her return to the nest. This was the last confirmed nesting of Hawfinch in this region.
1980
A drive to Dorset, at our first stop at Hartland Heath we saw 6 Yellowhammers, 3 Stonechats and heard a Cuckoo. We continued to Studland, to Little Sea where we saw a summer plumaged Pied-billed Grebe, probably the bird we had seen at Radipole at the end of January, we also saw a Cuckoo, 5 Redpolls and a few warblers.
Then we drove to the New Forest, at Beaulieu Road we saw 6 Woodlarks, 4 Tree Pipits, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 6 Cuckoos, a Redstart, 4 Siskins, 2 Marsh Tits, 3 Treecreepers, 2 Lapwing, a Snipe, a Curlew and 2 Red-legged Partridges. Near Beaulieu we saw 2 Dartford Warblers.
1984
1985
In Tunisia, five new birds seen today.
1987
A trip to Portland, but it was quite, 4 Wheatears, on the sea the usual seabirds plus a Gannet. At Radipole Lake there were 2 Common Terns and we had a good view of a Cetti's Warbler, at Lodmoor there were 2 Whimbrel.
We returned via Chew Valley Lake where there were still the pair of Garganey and a male Ring-necked Duck.
1988
In Florida on a sound recording trip, 1 new bird and 3 new reptiles seen today.
Swallow-tailed Kite.
1996
A visit to Black Rock Nature Reserve on the Mendips with the sound recording equipment, seeing Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, 4 Ravens, a pair of Redstarts, Treecreepers, Nuthatches, Marsh Tits, Jays and a Garden Warbler.
Then on to Westhay, where there were lots of Swallows, martins and Swifts, 8 species of warblers, around 60 Whimbrel, still quite a few ducks, a Cuckoo, a Sparrowhawk and a Purple Heron.
2004
A visit to Severn Beach on a very warm day, on a walk towards Chittening Warth I saw lots of Whiethroats, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and 3 Wheatears. On the shore beyond the 'pipes' there was a flock of around 160 Bar-tailed Godwits, rare in this area, with them c12 Whimbrel, I settled down to film them, but there was a lot of heat haze, which increased as the tide went out. Also see here.