Lost an American. Dawlish Warren February 12th.


Thursday 12th February
A day searching for an American gull, a Bonaparte's gull at Dawlish Warren ended without seeing this rarity but at least by dark I had met some great people and seen three year ticks. The year ticks included the difficult to get water pipit.
Also year ticks were red-throated divers and guillemot. Other birds seen during the day were red-necked and black-necked grebes and watching a wader roost at high tide is always a thrill.

Talking with two local birders, Dave and Dave was great; Dave being a very opinionated birder and Dave being a Frank Zappa fan, like myself. Due to the same name problem I called the first Dave Bob.
Now are there any keen birders who haven't heard of the famous Richard Millington? Well back in 1979 Richard saw over 300 birds albeit as a carbon twitcher. It is his book, A Twitcher's Diary that many a birder has read. Now my journey is to emulate that achievement by green means and meeting his Aunt, Hazel and his uncle John was a thrill.

A young couple, Ed and Lana, were also great to meet and walk with. Although quite late in the afternoon, they were also searching for the Yank but in the couple of hours we spent searching around the headland we didn't even see a black-headed gull, let alone the special one. They had spent the previous summer cast away on the Farne Islands as staff out there monitoring the amazing seabirds those islands are famous for. We, The Birding Clams, had been out there on day trips in both of the last two summers because of the presence of a bridled tern, a mega rarity and superb looking bird.

On arriving back at a fish and chip shop near to the B and B, I enjoyed a packet of chips and was given the house speciality to try, chips with golden syrup drizzled over them! Surprisingly delicious.

Year list still stands at 142. Next it's a search for cirl buntings at Labrador Bay RSPB reserve.

Now please have a look at the photographs of today on my facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/bikingbirder2015

Also if you could please make a small donation to any of the charities that I am supporting then please click on the links to the right. Thanks.

All the very best everyone. Love to you all xx

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