May Bird Guiding Day 8

Monday 18th May – After a late finish last night Steve and I decided on an 8am start as opposed to a 5am! Fortunate that we did as the weather was atrocious on Bodmin Moor, with driving rain and cold winds. First stop was Golitha Falls for Dipper. A quick look over the bridge to the river proved fruitless so we retreated back to the car for a quick coffee. Five minutes later and back to the same spot and there it was. Dipper, doing what Dippers do best, dipping. A smart Grey Wagtail was also down by the river but apart from a family of Mistle Thrushes and a couple of Spotted Flycatchers there wasn’t a lot to keep us out in the rain, so we headed for Ninebridges in the hope of seeing Willow Tit. It was here our luck was to run out with target species, as try as I might, I couldn’t add one to the list.

The weather turned as we headed further back west and it was soon once again back to wall to wall sunshine. We pulled up at Drift Reservoir and after yet another coffee, made our way along the south footpath to view the NE arm. The sound of Herring Gulls above drew my attention to a RED KITE drifting over, a remnant of the previous days influx no doubt. With a view across the water I set up my scope just in time to see the PURPLE HERON fly across and behind the trees on the far left. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get Steve onto it quick enough and he didn’t see it! Despite extensive searching the bird remained elusive and wasn’t seen by us again!

Golitha Falls and Nine Bridges: Dipper, Grey wagtail, Goldfinch, Nuthatch, Spotted Flycatcher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coat Tit, Robin, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, Magpie, Green Woodpecker (H), Mistle Thrush, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Reed Bunting.

Drift Reservoir – PURPLE HERON, RED KITE, Grey Heron, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Herring Gull, GBB Gull, Buzzard, Wren, Dunnock, Song Thrush, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Moorhen.

TRIP LIST TALLY – 145 Species.