My Weekly Outing

I seem to have left it a whole week before going out birding again. Still, it was a lovely day for it with a real spring-like feel in the air and warm sunshine, if you can imagine such a thing! I decided to try and get a couple of woodland species on the list namely Nuthatch and Marsh Tit, a couple of species we don't seem to get in Seaton gardens. I managed to get photos of both after visiting a couple of sites. They're not that good but good enough. Whilst in one woodland I saw my first Brimstone of the year, a real harbinger of spring, which was nice! Whilst driving home I spotted Gav pulling up in a lay-by alongside the estuary, I didn't think anything of it, quite a normal sight. A few hundred metres further on I saw Ian M and then Steve. My brain prompted me that now may be a good time to check my phone, so I pulled over and sure enough there was a text from Steve "Avocet on river by Seaton Marshes hide." I knew I'd need my scope to get a decent photo so I popped home to fetch it. On my way back I just happened to pass Gav again, this time he was turning to drive down to Seaton Marshes, so I followed. Apparently the Avocet was right in front of the hide. Gav made it to the hide several minutes before me because he can walk as fast as I can run, if not faster! We were a tad too late though (well I definitely was) it had moved a fair way off and gone to sleep. When it eventually became reanimated it gave those of us still watching about 30 seconds of exhilarating action before flying into a channel and out of sight.

 No 53 Marsh Tit

No 54 Nuthatch

Brimstone

No 55 Avocet

Just three random birds from the garden, all already on the list. It would be nice to get this near to a few more species!