NT
On the 3rd September:
1977
A visit to Chew Valley Lake where we saw 40+ Snipe, 4 Ruff, 6 Common and 12 Green Sandpipers, 2 Wood Sandpipers, a Turnstone, a Knot, a Spotted Redshank, 5 Greenshank, a Common Scoter, 4 Kingfishers, a Little Gull, 2 Black Terns, 9 Yellow Wagtails, a Wheatear and 2 Whinchats. Then we went to Cheddar Reservoir seeing 6 Common Sandpipers, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank and a Red-crested Pochard.
1978
A trip to Steart where at the high-tide roost there were 400+ Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 5 Spotted Redshank, 4 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Little Stints, 250+ Dunlin, c150 Ringed Plovers, 200+ Knot, 4 Ruff, Curlews and Oystercatchers and c20 Black-tailed Godwits. Also, a Peregrine, a Whinchat, lots of Yellow Wagtails and a male Blue-headed Wagtail. On the way home we called in at Durleigh Reservoir seeing a Little Gull.
1981
On a recce tour of Spain, 1 new bird today.
1983
Overnight southwesterly gale force winds, backing northwest and continuing into the morning, we went to Chew Valley Lake seeing 3 Arctic Terns, a Common Tern, 2 Black Terns, 3 Little Gulls, 7 Leach's Petrels and 1 possibly 2 Storm Petrels.
Then we went to Cheddar Reservoir, seeing the Pectoral Sandpiper again, also 2 Grey Phalaropes, a Black Tern, 3 Arctic Terns, 2 Common Terns, a Little Tern, 2 Sanderling, 15 Common Sandpipers, 24 Dunlin, 8 Ringed Plovers, 6 Greenshank, 2 Ruff and a Blue-headed Wagtail.
1989
A drive to Portland where there was an adult Rose-coloured Starling, a very smart, colourful bird, not much else seen except for a Peregrine. On the way back we called into Cheddar Reservoir seeing a Temminck's Stint, a Little Stint, 25 Dunlin, 3 Common Sandpipers, 6 Ringed Plovers, a Greenshank, lots of duck and Coot, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Hobby.
1993
On a birding trip to Spain.
2005
A visit to a very windy Colliford Lake in Cornwall, seeing 4 Buff-breasted Sandpipers, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Little Stint, 4 Dunlin, 8 Ringed Plovers and a Greenshank.
2006
A visit to Severn Beach where there were 4 immature Scaup and 2 Kittiwakes.
2011
At home in Portishead where I saw a Marsh Harrier flying south from the garden.
2019
I drove to Kynance Cove on The Lizard the previous day and by the time I got there I missed the booby by 10 minutes, as it had gone to roost behind the large pyramid shaped rock.
I stayed overnight in Lizard village and returned this morning, where there were already lots of birders and the car park almost full. The bird had flown out of the bay, but, soon returned, flying around fishing and sitting on the sea, bathing at times. Taking off the 1st year Brown Booby flew towards us and around the headland giving excellent views, it then returned to its favourite perch on the small pyramid shaped rock, where it remained until I left. The 3rd Brown Booby to be seen in Britain ever and all within a couple of months.
During the watch a group of 7 Chough flew over several times, landing close as I walked back to the car park.
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Right: Rocks off Kynance Cove.
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Below: Brown Booby preening on small pyramid rock.
2021
Midday saw a Red Kite flying over the Elm Lodge site in Cam, rushed to back of bungalow to see if it would reappear, but it didn't, instead flushed a Sparrowhawk which took off and flew low over field to trees. Then 2 Buzzards put in an appearance, the juvenile calling. Later, saw the female Sparrowhawk again, jumping up and down on top of the hedge peering down at the House Sparrows inside.
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