April being the time when few leaves still on the trees and birds more active I wanted to catch up with those hard if not impossible to see in East Sussex. A trip again with the caravan staying at Thetford Caravan Club site. On arrival there was news of a White-tailed Lapwing at Frampton Marsh, so after setting up went there and got onto the bird immediately but it always remained distant.
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| Frampton Marsh |
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| White-tailed Lapwing |
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| White-tailed Lapwing |
The next morning I joined Marcus Nash and two others primarily to see nesting Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers. At a site at Santon Warren we weren't disappointed, seeing the male excavating a hole and the female watching near by.
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| Female Lesser-spotted Woodpecker |
Other birds of note seen were Woodlark, Goshawk, and Stone Curlews. The plan was to return home the following day, but with news of the Albatross returning to Bempton Cliffs the previous day I headed to Yorkshire staying at the Bridlington club site.
Again after a quick set up I went to Bempton only 6 miles away and was put onto the Black-browed Albatross sitting on the sea but distant. A few moments later it flew up and landed on the cliffs where it stayed for the next 2 hours at least until after I had left.
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| Black-browed Albatross amoungst Gannets |
Next morning a return visit to try and get a closer look but the bird had flown out to sea to feed. After a short while looking at the Razorbills and Guillemots and not finding any Puffins I left to try and find another lifer.
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| Guillemots |
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| Razorbills |
At a place known as Hull Bridge there was a lot of flood water, and hundreds of Ducks mainly Wigeon Mallards and Teal. With strong winds it took some finding but eventually I found the Baikal Teal that had been present there fore a few days and pleased I was able to put another birder onto it.
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| Baikal Teal |
Later in the month on the 24th. I headed west on my annual visit to see Cirl Buntings and other western specialities . Taking the caravan I stopped at Stover club site for 2 nights. Firstly seeing the Cirl Buntings at Labrador Bay on the day of arrival and a handsome male Blackcap.
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| Backcap |
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| Cirl Bunting |
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| Labrador Bay Devon |
The next morning I went to Yarner Wood on the edge of Dartmoor, here to see the breeding Pied Flycatchers and was not disappointed.
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| Pied Flycatcher |
Other birds seen were Common Redstart and Tree Pipit
A drive up onto Dartmoor in glorious weather I visited the Haytor Rocks, I last saw when camping with the scouts around 1968 - still looked the same!
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| Haytor Rocks |
The following morning I headed further west to Marazion camp site as I had booked a day trip to Scilly on the 27th. Due to the Gig racing the Scillonion was doing a double crossing giving me 6 hours on St Marys. Apart from 30 plus Wheatears on the golf course and a lot of Rock Pipits not much else was seen. However I managed to see a couple of Choughs at Porthgwara. on the 26th.
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| Chough |
The Jackdaws were helping themselves to nesting material from the cattle
