Being a good lad I spent the day with the family. I was at work Friday with no chance of swapping shifts...but Saturday? Two of the lads were off. Both would have swapped (bearing in mind it's the Christmas holiday). Only one could and did! Much appreciation was conveyed.
Set off at 2am. I reached Bristol around 6. The Sat Nav suggested I came off but the previous evening Google maps suggested going on to Taunton. I came off...I should have stayed on! This move delayed my arrival time. News came through at 7.50 that the bird was still present (great news) but I was still 20 miles away. I couldn't help but think back to my HERMIT THRUSH nightmare! I still felt (reasonably) confident it would wait for me.
The scene when I arrived at 8.30am...
I nipped down to see if it was showing...always a good idea...it was,albeit briefly and distantly...and I had a peep through a chaps 'scope. I returned to the car to get all my gear and give Bud a walk (playing it cool?).
When I returned to the car things were livening up...
When I returned to the quayside...
A few tense moments and nearly disaster...
The next hour was spent shuffling up and down the quayside trying to get a decent picture. It would surface, then immediately dive and re-surface in a different area, sometimes c100 yds away!
By 10.30 I estimated the crowd to be around 1000...
Quite a sight!
Eventually I managed a few decent shots...
I was tempted to pop down to Devon for the White-billed Diver but extra mileage and lack of sleep made me see sense...just! So I decided to set off back. As I passed through Weymouth I checked the pager. Good job I did as there was a GLOSSY IBIS not 2 miles away! I struggled to find the exact location but spotted a group of birders on a car park (there were plenty around). As I was asking them for directions they pointed out a Med' Gull...
Five minutes later I was looking at this fine bird...
A great day...
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